Latest news with #Unbreakable
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Aussie tennis great Jelena Dokic opens up on her 'complicated' relationship with her late father after his recent death
Australian tennis great Jelena Dokic has opened up about the death of her estranged father, Damir Dokic, calling the grief 'difficult and complicated'. The 67-year-old passed away on May 16, 2025, following a decade-long estrangement from his daughter. Jelena made the announcement through a heartfelt social media post, revealing the mixed emotions she felt. 'It is never easy losing a parent and a father, even one you are estranged from,' she wrote. Her words struck a chord with many who have followed her painful family history. Jelena's early tennis success came under the shadow of a deeply troubled relationship with her father. As her coach, Damir was both controlling and abusive, subjecting her to emotional and physical torment behind the scenes. In her memoir Unbreakable, Jelena revealed he once kicked her for losing a match and threatened her with a gun. His violent outbursts extended beyond their household - he was banned from tournaments like Wimbledon for aggressive behaviour. Jelena eventually cut ties in 2002 and has not spoken to her father for nearly ten years. Even so, the moment of his passing hit her with unexpected complexity. 'Maybe not even grief, but more so like closure or a chapter that's kind of finished,' she told NewsWire. She explained she was swamped with work when the news broke and had little space to process the loss. In quieter moments, however, surrounded by her close friends - her 'ride or dies' - Jelena has begun unpacking the layers of that grief. Her childhood was defined by secrets, shame, and silence. She hid her abuse for years, building emotional walls that were hard to tear down. She also struggled to form friendships during her playing days. 'Some victims of and survivors of domestic violence and abuse… are not allowed to make friends,' she said. Jelena was one of them. Her father controlled who she spoke to and isolated her during her most formative years. Now in her 40s, she is slowly rewriting that narrative. She speaks openly about what she endured to help others who may be suffering in silence. 'I always believed I can get to that stage where one day I can smile,' she said. Her journey has not been easy. Jelena has battled depression, PTSD, anxiety, and eating disorders throughout her life. Even now, social media trolls continue to send abuse, but she's learned to deal with them. 'I see one vile sentence, I delete straight away,' she said. Her resilience has become her strength. She's not only survived abuse, but she has emerged as one of Australia's leading voices on mental health, domestic violence, and bullying. Jelena wants people to know they are not alone.
Sky News AU
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News AU
Jelena Dokic stuns in bold new look at real estate industry event after being snapped with mystery man
Tennis star Jelena Dokic has showed off her new corporate style weeks after being snapped cosying up to a mystery man at Melbourne Airport. In vision obtained by Dokic was seen warmly embracing the unknown man at the airport arrivals hall earlier this month. Dokic, 42, is currently back in front of the cameras as part of Channel 9's sports team covering the French Open. The retired tennis great is also as busy as ever with public engagements, including a quarterly awards ceremony for real estate firm Kay & Burton on Tuesday in Melbourne. Photos from the event shared by attendees in the real estate industry revealed Dokic's striking new figure after her recent weight loss journey. Dokic looked stylish in a sharp grey suit at the event and took to the stage to deliver a speech to attendees on her life and career. The Aussie tennis star was just 16-years-old when she advanced to the semi-final at Wimbledon in 2000 and reached a peak of World No. 4 in 2002. In 2009, Dokic enjoyed an unforgettable run at the Australian Open after entering the draw as a wildcard and ultimately advancing all the way to the quarter finals. She retired in 2014 and turned to commentating tennis. In a December 2023 interview, Jelena said she had been estranged from her father and former coach for more than 10 years, and claimed he had never apologised for his alleged verbal, emotional and physical abuse. Dokic's corporate gig comes weeks after the shock death of her father, who Jelena accused of physical, emotional and financial abuse in her memoir Unbreakable. "My father passed away in the late hours on 16.05.2025," Jelena wrote on Instagram last week. "As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history. "Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father even one you are estranged from. "The loss of an estranged parent comes with a difficult and complicated grief."
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jelena Dokic's difficult move after estranged father Damir dies days after doco award
Popular tennis commentator and former player Jelena Dokic has sent a 'difficult' message to her fans asking for space after revealing her abusive father and former coach Damir Dokic has died. Taking to social media, Dokic revealed her father had died in the late hours of 16 May. Dokic's relationship with her father was well documented over the years. The Aussie recently announced she had been recognised for her groundbreaking doco 'Unbreakable' that detailed the abuse she suffered at the hands of Damir. The former tennis star reached World No.4 during her playing days, but did so under the tenure of her controlling father. Regardless of the pain her father put her through, Dokic shared a message and admitted her conflicting feelings at this difficult time. "As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history," Dokic wrote in an Instagram post. "Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father even one you are estranged from. The loss of an estranged parent comes with a difficult and complicated grief. It's an end of a chapter and life as I know it." Dokic accompanied the post with a photo of her when she was younger with Damir. And the former tennis star said she wanted to focus on the good memories she shared with her father as she processes the loss. "For the end of this chapter, I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture," she said. "And as always and especially important to who I am as a person and what I want to stand for which is respect, grace, kindness, dignity and empathy, I will and want to be that person in this situation too." View this post on Instagram A post shared by JELENA DOKIC 🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺 (@dokic_jelena) Dokic retired from tennis in 2014 and has become a tennis commentator. The former Wimbledon semi-finalist has two books detailing her relationship with her father and has advocated for conversations around mental health and domestic violence since putting down the racquet. At the height of Dokic's career, Damir made her turn her back on Australia and switch allegiances to Yugoslavia, which saw her booed at the Australian Open by fans who thought it was her decision. Dokic was born in Croatia when it was still part of Yugoslavia, but moved to Australia with her family at age 11. She won the US Open junior girls title in 1998 while representing Australia, and teamed up with Mark Philippoussis to win the Hopman Cup in 1999 as a 15-year-old. Dokic switched her allegiance back to Australia in 2005, but said the Australian public's perception of her was "never the same". She went on to achieve a 14-3 record in Fed Cup and produced many famous victories for Australia. Back in January, Channel 9 aired Dokic's documentary, 'Unbreakable', which shined a light on some of the horrific treatment she received at the hands of her father. The documentary was adapted from her 2017 memoir of the same name and it also aired in cinemas late last year. The documentary showed the former tennis star's courage to overcome the horrific abuse and become the person she is today. And only last week Dokic revealed it had won 'Feature Documentary Production of the Year' at the annual Screen Producer Awards. Readers seeking support can contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Lifeline (13 11 14)
Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
‘Complicated grief' – Former tennis star reveals abusive dad has died at 67 after ‘difficult and painful relationship'
Jelena Dokic last year opened up on the domestic abuse she suffered for a documentary STAR'S ANGUISH 'Complicated grief' – Former tennis star reveals abusive dad has died at 67 after 'difficult and painful relationship' FORMER tennis star Jelena Dokic has revealed that her father Damir has died aged 67. Dokic, 42, detailed the domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of her dad in her 2017 autobiography entitled "Unbreakable". Advertisement 5 Jelena Dokic is a regular pundit on Aussie tennis Credit: Getty 5 The 42-year-old has posted this picture of herself with her late father Credit: INSTAGRAM @dokic_jelena 5 Damir Dokic coached Jelena during her tennis career Credit: AFP - Getty 5 Dokic reached a career high world No4 in 2002 Credit: Getty A documentary was also released under the same name last year. Dokic was estranged from Damir for the last 10 years of his life. Upon her dad's passing, the Aussie former No4 as opened up on her complex emotions. Alongside a picture of herself with Damir as a child, Dokic wrote on Instagram: "My father passed away in the late hours on 16.05.2025. Advertisement "As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history. "Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father even one you are estranged from. "The loss of an estranged parent comes with a difficult and complicated grief." Dokic moved to Australia from the former Yugoslavia alongside hr family aged 11. Advertisement 5 Dokic, pictured in 1999, was coached by her father Damir Credit: Rex Features A prodigious tennis talent, Dokic reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2000 and peaked at world No4 two years later. Damir's abuse left Dokic feeling "broken inside" - with the tennis legend revealing that the day after a defeat to Martina Hingis she was left with "not an inch of skin that wasn't bruised". Jelena Dokic documentary: Tennis ace reveals horrific abuse by her father - 'There wasn't an inch of skin not bruised' Expanding on Damir's death, Dokic added: "It's an end of a chapter and life as I know it. Advertisement "There are lots of conflicting and complex emotions and feelings for me. "For the end of this chapter, I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture. "And as always and especially important to who I am as a person and what I want to stand for which is respect, grace, kindness, dignity and empathy, I will and want to be that person in this situation too." Dokic retired from tennis in 2014 and has since become a prominent voice in the sport in Australia. Advertisement During a conversation with The Independent last year, Dokic revealed that Damir had not said sorry. Finishing her statement on Instagram, Dokic showed incredible grace as she concluded: For now, I will leave it there. "Please respect mine and the rest of my family's privacy at this time. "Thank you to so many of you for checking in on me over the last few days and for being here for me while I navigate this difficult and complicated situation. Advertisement "And my final words. RIP."
The Irish Sun
21-05-2025
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
‘Complicated grief' – Former tennis star reveals abusive dad has died at 67 after ‘difficult and painful relationship'
FORMER tennis star Jelena Dokic has revealed that her father Damir has died aged 67. Dokic, 42, detailed the domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of her dad in her 2017 autobiography entitled "Unbreakable". 5 Jelena Dokic is a regular pundit on Aussie tennis Credit: Getty 5 The 42-year-old has posted this picture of herself with her late father Credit: INSTAGRAM @dokic_jelena 5 Damir Dokic coached Jelena during her tennis career Credit: AFP - Getty 5 Dokic reached a career high world No4 in 2002 Credit: Getty A Dokic was estranged from Damir for the last 10 years of his life. Upon her dad's passing, the Aussie former No4 as opened up on her complex emotions. Alongside a picture of herself with Damir as a child, Dokic wrote on Instagram: "My father passed away in the late hours on 16.05.2025. READ MORE IN SPORT "As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history. "Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father even one you are estranged from. "The loss of an estranged parent comes with a difficult and complicated grief." Dokic moved to Australia from the former Yugoslavia alongside hr family aged 11. Most read in Tennis 5 Dokic, pictured in 1999, was coached by her father Damir Credit: Rex Features A prodigious tennis talent, Dokic reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2000 and peaked at world No4 two years later. Damir's abuse left Dokic feeling "broken inside" - with the tennis legend revealing that the day after a defeat to Martina Hingis she was left with "not an inch of skin that wasn't bruised". Jelena Dokic documentary: Tennis ace reveals horrific abuse by her father - 'There wasn't an inch of skin not bruised' Expanding on Damir's death, Dokic added: "It's an end of a chapter and life as I know it. "There are lots of conflicting and complex emotions and feelings for me. "For the end of this chapter, I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture. "And as always and especially important to who I am as a person and what I want to stand for which is respect, grace, kindness, dignity and empathy, I will and want to be that person in this situation too." Dokic retired from tennis in 2014 and has since become a prominent voice in the sport in Australia. During a conversation with Finishing her statement on Instagram, Dokic showed incredible grace as she concluded: For now, I will leave it there. "Please respect mine and the rest of my family's privacy at this time. "Thank you to so many of you for checking in on me over the last few days and for being here for me while I navigate this difficult and complicated situation. "And my final words. RIP." Domestic abuse - how to get help DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence. Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship: Emotional abuse - Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse - gaslighting - being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to Threats and intimidation - Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you Physical abuse - This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten. Sexual abuse - Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent. If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers: on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night Men who are being abused can call Respect Men's Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or on 0182 3334 244 Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring on 0800 999 5428 If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999 Remember, you are not alone. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime. Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.
