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‘Complicated grief’ – Former tennis star reveals abusive dad has died at 67 after ‘difficult and painful relationship’

Published on May 21, 2025 at 02:58 PM

FORMER tennis star Jelena Dokic has revealed that her father Damir has died aged 67.

Dokic, 42, detailed the domestic abuse she suffered at the hands of her dad in her 2017 autobiography entitled “Unbreakable”;;.

Jelena Dokic smiling at the Witchery White Shirt Campaign Launch.
Jelena Dokic is a regular pundit on Aussie tennis
Photo of a shirtless man holding a young child.
The 42-year-old has posted this picture of herself with her late father
Damir Dokic at the Australian Open, 2000.
Damir Dokic coached Jelena during her tennis career
Jelena Dokic playing a forehand in a tennis match.
Dokic reached a career high world No4 in 2002

A under the same name last year.

Dokic was estranged from Damir for the last 10 years of his life.

Upon her dad’s passing, the Aussie former No4 as opened up on her complex emotions.

Alongside a picture of herself with Damir as a child, Dokic wrote on Instagram: “My father passed away in the late hours on 16.05.2025.

“As you know my relationship with my father has been difficult and painful with a lot of history.

“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.”;;

Dokic moved to from the former Yugoslavia alongside hr family aged 11.

Jelena Dokic and her father Damir at Wimbledon in 1999.
Dokic, pictured in 1999, was coached by her father Damir

A prodigious talent, Dokic reached the semi-finals in 2000 and peaked at world No4 two years later.

Damir’s abuse left Dokic feeling “broken inside”;; – with the tennis legend revealing that the day after a defeat to Martina Hingis she was left with “not an inch of skin that wasn’t bruised”;;.

Expanding on Damir’s death, Dokic added: “It’s an end of a chapter and life as I know it.

“There are lots of conflicting and complex emotions and feelings for me.

“For the end of this chapter, I choose to focus on a good memory like this picture.

“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.”;;

Dokic retired from tennis in 2014 and has since become a prominent voice in the sport in Australia.

During a conversation with The Independent last year, Dokic revealed that Damir had not said sorry.

Finishing her statement on , Dokic showed incredible grace as she concluded: 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.”;;

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