Australian tennis champion Jelena Dokic reveals she doesn’t hate her abusive father on the eve of tell-all documentary release: ‘I’m not bitter’
Former Australian tennis champion Jelena Dokic says she does not blame her father Damir for the abuse she suffered as a young player.
As the tell-all feature film Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story hits theaters this month, Jelena said that while she doesn’t forgive her father, she doesn’t “hate” him either.
‘I don’t blame anyone. I don’t hate anyone. “I don’t hate anyone at all, and I would never do that,” Jelena told the BBC Daily Telegraph.
“I’m not bitter about it,” she added.
‘Even to my father, which people find surprising. But I don’t hate him. I don’t necessarily forgive him, but I don’t hate him.’
Jelena was born in Yugoslavia and her family moved to Australia when she was 11 years old.
Her tennis career peaked when she reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 1999 and the semi-finals in 2000, followed by the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2002.
In a trailer for Unbreakable, which will be released on November 7, Jelena recalls how she felt the pressure to win because her father Damir was regularly beaten.
Former Australian tennis champion Jelena Dokic says she doesn’t blame her father Demir for the abuse she suffered as a young player
‘I’m 16 years old here. I played #1 Martina Hingis and I knew if I lost the consequences would be catastrophic,” she says in the trailer as she watches footage of herself playing.
‘One day after I lost, I knew what was going to happen… I started to feel really broken inside.
‘There wasn’t an inch of skin that wasn’t bruised. I’m 17 and because of his actions, [I] became the most hated person.”
“I’m not bitter about it,” she told the Daily Telegraph. ‘Even to my father, which people find surprising. But I don’t hate him. I don’t necessarily forgive him, but I don’t hate him.’
In a trailer for Unbreakable, out on November 7, Jelena recalls how she felt the pressure to win because her father Damir was regularly beaten.
Her autobiography of the same name was released in 2017 and Jelena describes the harrowing physical and emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her father Damir during her playing career.
Jelena told the Telegraaf that she feels an ‘incredible freedom’ after telling her story in the book and now in the feature film.
‘It gave me a voice. It gave me the strength to reclaim my life. “I have never been happier,” she said.
‘For the first time in my life I was not silenced. And that comes with incredible freedom.’
During her appearance on Jess Rowe’s Big Talk Show in May, Jelena spoke about her book and reiterated that she doesn’t hate her abusive father.
Her tennis career peaked when she reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 1999 and the semi-finals in 2000, followed by the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2002.
“After reading your story, I hate your dad,” Jess told Jelena, expressing surprise that the former athlete doesn’t share the same sentiments.
‘No. I don’t want to leave that place. I don’t hate anyone. Hate is a very powerful word, but I can understand you and the people who use it,” Jelena responded.
“For whatever reason, the universe gave me that as my childhood and my life, and I have to accept the circumstances… I don’t have to hate him, but I don’t forgive him.”
Despite years of abuse, Jelena revealed earlier this year why she once tried to reconcile with her father when they last connected a decade ago.
‘I last had contact with him about ten years ago. And yes, I even tried to reconcile with him once or twice,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald in January.
“I think no matter what happens, you hope that maybe you can save a relationship when it comes to family.”