Jelena Dokic mourns her late father: a painful farewell

Jelena Dokic mourns her late father: a painful farewell

Damir Dokic, the father of former tennis player Jelena Dokic, died on May 16 at the age of 66. Jelena Dokic announced the sad news via Instagram on May 24, 2025. In her moving post, she reflected on the complex feelings that her father's death triggered in her, recalling both the positive and negative moments of their relationship.

Jelena Dokic, who reached fourth place in the world rankings during her career in 2002 and, among other things, reached the semi-finals at Wimbledon 2000, had a difficult relationship with her father. Loud Cosmo In an interview, she reported over 15 years of physical and verbal abuse that began in her childhood. This abuse included beatings with a belt and emotional insults, leading to a decade of depression and a suicide attempt.

The legacy of abuse and trauma

The relationship between Jelena Dokic and her father was strained by traumatic experiences. She spoke on the Mental As Anyone podcast about the lasting effects of the abuse she experienced growing up. Loud Daily Mail She suffered from profound mental health issues, including PTSD and eating disorders, and said she attempted suicide several times when she was 22 in 2005.

Dokic also reported that she left her parents' home at the age of 19 during a tennis tournament to escape her father's violent attacks. Despite the torment she has suffered, she cannot forgive her father, but she also has no feelings of hatred towards him. She wants to be seen as a survivor and success story, rather than a victim.

Sporting success and failed assumption of responsibility

Jelena Dokic has achieved numerous successes in her career. In addition to the achievements already mentioned, she can look back on six tournament wins and prize money of over 4.4 million dollars. She represented Australia in her early years, but in 2001 she decided to represent the remaining polity of the old Yugoslavia - a decision that was heavily influenced by her father. In an interview, she expressed regret for following this influence and would endure "100 years of abuse" to undo it.

The shadowy web of interpersonal violence in competitive sports, which also includes Dokic's experiences, is a widespread problem. On In Mind It is described that the culture of competitive sports often endangers the well-being of athletes. Psychological violence affects 60-72% of athletes, while physical violence reaches 14-25%. This issue is further compounded by the strong power imbalance between athletes and coaches, which often leads to silence about abuse.

Jelena Dokic documented her experiences in her autobiography, Unbreakable, which were originally covered in a 2024 documentary called Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story. This documentary, which aired in early 2025, garnered her a lot of support from the public - including from prominent figures such as AFL legend Brendan Fevola and former tennis player Denis Istomin.

The death of Damir Dokic casts a shadow over his daughter's sporting career, but also reminds us of how important it is to talk about and combat interpersonal violence in sport. Recent developments highlight the need to create safer environments for athletes, where respect and empathy must be at the forefront.