Jelena Dokic’s abusive father Damir has died, the former tennis star announced on Instagram on Wednesday evening.
Damir, who was believed to be 67 years old, died last Friday, Jelena Dokic confirmed in a social media post.
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“My father passed away in the late hours on 16.05.2025,” she wrote.
“Despite everything and no matter how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non existent our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent and a father even one you are estranged from.
“The loss of an estranged parent comes with a difficult and complicated grief.
“It’s an end of a chapter and life as I know it.”
Just last week, Jelena Dokic talked excitedly about the prospect of becoming a mother and her desire to adopt.
Dokic, who turned 42 last month, is a beloved figure in Australian sport.
The former world No. 4 tennis player survived physical and emotional abuse from her father Damir to forge a successful career as a commentator and author.
Dokic continued in her post she had “complex emotions” about Damir’s death and was trying to focus on good memories of her father.
“There are lots of conflicting and complex emotions and feelings for me,” she continued.
“For the end of this chapter, I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture (see above).
“And as always and especially important to who I am as a person and what I want to stand for which is respect, grace, kindness, dignity and empathy, I will and want to be that person in this situation too. For now, I will leave it there.
“Please respect mine and the rest of my family’s privacy at this time. Thank you to so many of you for checking in on me over the last few days and for being here for me while I navigate this difficult and complicated situation.
“And my final words. RIP.”
Dokic’s post has received an outpouring of love from a wide variety of people, including some well known names in Australian sport and beyond.
Posted around 6.15pm AEST, it already has over 16,000 likes and more than 1200 comments.
Author Jessica Rowe commented: “YOU are a remarkable woman … I’m sending you lots of love.”
Tennis great and fellow commentator Todd Woodbridge wrote: “Proud of how far you have come.”
Former Australian of the Year and fellow abuse survivor Grace Tame offered: “Thinking of you. We love you.”
Olympic swimming champion Shayna Jack wrote simply: “Thinking of you.”
Dokic’s heartbreaking story of resilience has inspired Australians for many years.
In a new revelation last week, the tennis great turned commentator said while she doesn’t hate her father, she could never forgive him for the physical and mental abuse he put her through.
Dokic broke onto the tennis scene at just 16 years of age in 1999 as a qualifier at Wimbledon, where she stunningly upset world No. 1 Martina Hingis before going on to reach the quarter-finals.
The following year, she reached the semi-finals of Wimbledon – her best-ever grand slam result – but hidden behind the promising start to her career was a dark story that would eventually derail her career.
At the height of Dokic’s career, her father Damir made her turn her back on Australia and switch allegiances to Yugoslavia, which saw her booed at the Australian Open by Aussie fans who blamed her.
Dokic was born in Croatia when it was still part of Yugoslavia but moved to Australia with her family at age 11. It was a move she deeply regretted and never wanted.
From there on things went from bad to worse and as her promising career deteriorated with her father largely to blame, the tennis world began to wrap its arms around a broken Dokic.
But it was only in the last few years the depths of her abuse were actually revealed.
On the latest episode of the Mental As Anyone podcast, Dokic detailed some of the horrendous abuse she suffered that had her believing her father may actually kill her.
“I was kicked and punched in the head so hard that it left me unconscious and navigating through that at home, but at the same time, putting on — let’s say a brave face — and being able to go out there on the court and perform,” Dokic said.
“I did leave home at the age of 19, escaped during a tennis tournament because the beatings were getting so violent and I didn’t know if I was going to survive the next one.”
However, despite being a victim, Dokic said she didn’t want to be viewed as that but as a survivor who has become an undoubted success in the face of adversity.
With the news of her father’s passing, the horrendous abuse she faced has now reached the end of a significant chapter.
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