Former Australian tennis champion Jelena Dokic says she does not blame her father Damir for the abuse she suffered when she was young.
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.
‘I don’t blame anyone. I have no resentment towards anyone. I definitely don’t hate anyone, I never would,” Jelena told the Daily Telegraph.
“I’m not bitter about it,” she added.
‘Even for my father, which surprises people. But I don’t hate it. 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 quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1999 and the semifinals in 2000, followed by the quarterfinals of the 2002 French Open.
In a trailer for Unbreakable, out Nov. 7, Jelena recalls how she felt pressured to win when her father Damir regularly inflicted beatings on her.
Former Australian tennis champion Jelena Dokic says she doesn’t blame her father Demir for the abuse she suffered when she was young
‘I’m 16 years old here. “I was playing number 1, Martina Hingis, and I knew that if I lost the consequences would be catastrophic,” she says in the trailer while watching footage of herself playing.
‘One day after losing I knew what was going to happen… I was starting to feel really broken inside.
‘There wasn’t an inch of skin that wasn’t bruised. I’m 17 years old and through his actions, (I) became the most hated person.’
“I’m not bitter about it,” she told the Daily Telegraph. ‘Even for my father, which surprises people. But I don’t hate it. I don’t necessarily forgive him, but I don’t hate him.
In a trailer for Unbreakable, out Nov. 7, Jelena recalls how she felt pressured to win as her father Damir regularly inflicted beatings on her.
Her autobiography of the same name was published in 2017 and Jelena details the harrowing physical and emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her father Damir during her playing career.
Jelena told the Telegraph that she feels an “incredible freedom” having told her story in the book and now in the feature film.
‘It gave me a voice. It gave me the power to take my life back. “I’ve never been happier,” he said.
‘I was not silenced for the first time in my life. And with that comes incredible freedom.’
During her appearance on Jess Rowe’s Big Talk Show in May, Jelena opened up about her book and reiterated that she doesn’t hate her abusive father.
Her tennis career peaked when she reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1999 and the semifinals in 2000, followed by the quarterfinals of the 2002 French Open.
“After reading your story, I hate your dad,” Jess told Jelena, expressing surprise that the former athlete doesn’t share the same feelings.
‘No. I don’t want to come from that place. I don’t hate anyone. Hate is a very strong word, but I can understand you and people using it,” Jelena responded.
‘For some 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 it, but I don’t forgive it.’
Despite suffering years of abuse, Jelena revealed earlier this year why she tried to reconcile with her father the last time they made contact a decade ago.
‘The last time I had contact with him was about 10 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 have hope that you can save a relationship as far as family is concerned.”
