"We're getting abused & shoving it under rug"- Jelena Dokic sends strongly-worded message against body shaming & social media hate after trauma years

Jelena Dokic opened up about dealing with body shaming and social media hatred after years of trauma and domestic abuse. Dokic was at the mouth of trolls several times, notably at the 2023 Australian Open, where she served as a commentator.

Jelena Dokic rose to fame in 1999 when she defeated the then-No. 1 Martina Hingis in the first round of Wimbledon. She reached the semifinals of the same Major in 2000 but couldn't replicate it in the years that followed. However, she had impressive runs at several tour-level outings until retiring in 2014.

Beneath the surface of her tennis career lay years of emotional and physical abuse from her father, extreme bullying that led to severe mental health struggles, and even suicide attempts. At the 2023 and 2024 Australian Open editions, when she was commentating, people noticed her drastic change and filled her social media with hate comments and criticism.

Responding to those, Dokic opened up on her social media posts, addressing the backlash and calling out trolls who don't bother to learn the truth. In a recent conversation with Australian Story, the 42-year-old noted that women have been subjected to abuse for years and have often stayed silent about it. By speaking up, she hopes others will feel empowered to do the same.

"Online trolling and bullying, so many of us get it, and body shaming as well. It was similar to abuse and domestic violence and mental health and not talking about it in our society for such a long time. Well, that's not right. As someone that's in the public eye or has a platform, it comes with the territory. Why should it come with the territory? Maybe we're talking about it that way because we've accepted it for too long."

She added:

"We're actually out here not doing anything wrong. We're the ones getting abused, and we're always shoving it under the rug. So I did it. I called it. It was amazing. Maybe if I do it, someone else will then have the courage to do it too. The way that you take power away from any kind of, I say, bad thing in the world, bullies, trolls, violence, abuse, anything, is by speaking up. As soon as we speak up, we take that power away from them," Dokic said.

Jelena Dokic now collaborates with major Australian channels like Fox Sports, Channel 7, and Tennis Australia.

Jelena Dokic once revealed that she doesn't hate her father Damir Dokic despite years of abuse

Jelena Dokic at the 2011 French Open - Day One - Source: Getty

Jelena Dokic was coached by her father, Damir Dokic, during her junior years and as she broke through on the tour. However, her relationship with him was far from ideal, marked by abuse and ill-treatment. Damir passed away in March 2025, succumbing to cancer. In a conversation with Australian Story’s Leigh Sales, she spoke about how her father treated her and never expressed remorse for anything. Although she said she wouldn’t forgive him, she also wouldn’t hate him.

"I was kicked and punched in the head so hard it left me unconscious. It's so drilled in you that you are just not worthy of anything. I tried to reconcile with my father two or three times. It wasn't possible. It's hard when someone's not even a little bit sorry or has any remorse and in fact, he said he would do it all again."

She added:

"We were estranged for 10 years. It's the end. I don't necessarily forgive him or have to forgive him but here's the big thing: I do not hate him."

After parting with her father as her coach, she was mentored by Borna Bikic, Nikola Pilic, and Craig Miller.

Edited by Agnijeeta Majumder