Former Australian tennis star turned commentator Jelena Dokic is not on the same page as Nick Kyrgios when it comes to doping in sport, and their stances could pit them against each other at next month’s Australian Open.
While Kyrgios recently called tennis “cooked” after women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek received a one-month ban for doping, Dokic has a different opinion.
Given that Kyrgios has also talked a lot about men’s world number one Jannik Sinner, who escaped a suspension in August despite failing two drug tests, it should make for some interesting conversation when the Australians meet at Melbourne Park in January. .
“A lot of attention has been paid to the players… but no attention has been paid to why that happened and why there was contamination, why a company or whoever supplied the product, etc., is not taking responsibility,” he said. Dokic to the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday.
“I think it’s a very unclear process, it takes its toll, especially for the players, and it definitely needs to be faster.”
“There are a lot more people who have to take responsibility for certain things.”
Former Australian tennis star turned commentator Jelena Dokic is not on the same page as Nick Kyrgios when it comes to doping in sport (pictured addressing the National Press Club in Canberra this week)
While Kyrgios (pictured, with actor Matthew McConaughey) recently called tennis “cooked” after women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek received a one-month ban for doping, Dokic has a different view.
Dokic also expressed his belief that anti-doping in tennis “will be a massive conversation in the coming years.”
Those words stand in stark contrast to Kyrgios’ fury over the ban that was recently imposed on women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek after she tested positive for trimetazidine, a performance-enhancing drug, in August.
He responded to a post by fellow tennis pro Benjamin Lock, who tweeted: ‘1 month ban. It’s not even April Fool’s Day. Don’t play with us like that.’
Kyrgios responded to Lock’s post by saying: “our sport is cooked.”
He then doubled down with a second message attacking the sport’s anti-doping rules.
‘The excuse we can all use is that we didn’t know. I just didn’t know it. Sports professionals at the highest level can now simply say “we didn’t know,” Kyrgios posted.
It also comes after Canberra-raised Kyrgios said in August it was “ridiculous” that Australian Open winner Jannik Sinner escaped a suspension for failing two drug tests.
“Ridiculous, whether accidental or planned,” Kyrgios posted on X.
Both have a good chance of meeting at the Australian Open, as Dokic will be a big part of the commentary team and Kyrgios, who is making his long-awaited return from injury, will be one of the biggest attractions of the tournament.
Last month, Dokic, 41, revealed he feared for his life amid heartbreaking abuse from his father Damir during his court career.
She has documented the physical and mental abuse she suffered at the hands of her father in her tell-all feature film. Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Storywhich is currently in theaters nationwide.
Jelena Dokic recently revealed she feared for her life amid her father Damir’s horrific abuse during her professional sports career.
On Nova FM, Dokic claimed that he feared for his life when he was only 17 years old due to Damir’s abuse.
Dokic told Nova hosts Jason Hawkins and Lauren Phillips that Damir forced her to play for Yugoslavia at the 2001 Australian Open, trapping her between his anger and widespread public criticism from Australian tennis fans.
She admitted that she was afraid of being beaten by her father if she did not agree to change her national allegiance, and at one point feared for her life.
“When I had to go from playing from Australia to Yugoslavia to within 24 hours of walking across Rod Laver Arena to play Lindsay Davenport, I was literally caught between two fires,” he said.
“Here my father, if he hadn’t gone and said it at a press conference that was suddenly called, when I got back to the hotel room, who knows, I probably wouldn’t have survived that beating.”
Dokic (pictured, at Wimbledon in 2011) recalled how her father forced her to play for Yugoslavia at the 2001 Australian Open and it remains one of her biggest regrets.
“Or here I had the media, the sponsors (and) the public who were going to beat me up, like they did, so what do you do?
“So of course I did that and 24 hours later you walk out and you’re in the Rod Laver Arena, 15,000 people booing you and everyone writing that you’re a traitor.”
Dokic heartbreakingly added that he would have suffered “100 years” of abuse from his father if it meant he could have continued playing for Australia.
“This always moves me, nothing more,” she said through tears.
“I’ve said it recently, and people find it shocking, that I would endure 100 years of abuse so that he wouldn’t have taken that moment away from me with my people, with Australia.
“I came back a few years later, yes, they accepted me, but it was never the same until my book came out, and until now.”