Jelena Dokic claims others turned a blind eye to years of abuse from her father
Former tennis star Jelena Dokic has revealed she was once knocked unconscious by her abusive father, while others turned a blind eye to the physical and emotional abuse she suffered from the age of six.
The former teen sensation, once ranked number four in the world, said the abuse reached a horrifying peak when one lengthy incident left her out cold.
"It was one of the worst physical situations abuse-wise that I had to endure and it went on for hours," she revealed on Sunrise on Monday.
"It's difficult to talk about, even now. It is something that will stay with me forever."
Remarkably, she revealed that despite her suffering being known to several on the tennis tour, little was done to halt the abuse.
"I know a few people knew. I knew a few people saw him hit me and be aggressive and be loud, he was constantly screaming," she recalled.
But Dokic has said she doesn't bare any grudges on the people who failed to help during her time of need.
"At the same time, I don't want to point fingers. I think we need to get past that."
With the world at her feet, a 17-year-old Dokic reached the Wimbledon semi-finals in 2000, but four years later her career was all but over, stumped by the shocking abuse.
The 34-year-old said the whippings and beatings began from the age six.
'Punched, whipped and spat on'
She claims she was punched, whipped and even spat on as punishment by her father Damir.
"I was never hit or abused by my father until that very first day when I started playing tennis,” she said.
"It got worse and worse and it spiralled out of control when we came to Australia when I was 11.
"In the end he kind of ruined my career and in a way really shorted it.”
Dokic revealed the abuse became too much, and after suffering from poverty and racism, she became depressed and contemplated suicide.
Dokic said she doesn’t have much of a relationship with her father now but she has reached out to him.
“I've tried to reconcile with him over the years, it’s a difficult process and situation, he's a difficult person,” she said.
'My heart is in a million pieces': Perth girl, 8, dies after drag race crash
Man, 70, jailed for three decades of sex abuse of girls
Suspicious fire engulfs abandoned building near iconic Melbourne sign
Tennis Australia’s Tood Woodbridge said a lot of people realised due to Damir Dokic’s behaviour that things “were really tough" for Jelena.
“I don’t think until we’ve seen what she’s talked about the extreme depths of those things that were happening to her,” Woodbridge said.
"No one knows what she could have achieved had she had that free run.”
If you or someone you know is having trouble coping, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14.
