“To be able to tell my story but on screen is so powerful so I can’t wait for that to come out,” said Jelena Dokic about her new documentary based on her 2017 autobiography, ‘Unbreakable.’ The story will dig deeper into her harrowing experience of abuse and exploitation at the hands of her coach and father, Damir Dokic. Naturally, the documentary set to release on November 7th has sparked widespread concern and outrage. Pam Shriver, the former American player, has echoed the same sentiments, highlighting the sport’s unacceptable shortcomings!

Jelena Dokic’s documentary promises to tell a story of “falling down from a great height, as the world looked away, and finding your feet again.” Once ranked at No. 4, the Australian conquered titles on all surfaces during her tennis career. Moreover, at the age of 16, she even defeated the then World No. 1, Martina Hingis, at the 1999 Wimbledon first round. However, her rapid climb to success was soon disrupted by her tumultuous relationship with her father during the early 2000s. Taking advice from her father, she switched from playing for Australia to Yugoslavia and then back to playing for Australia again, ultimately facing intense scrutiny from fans. Despite struggling with her father’s abusive behaviors at the time, she tried to make a return to the sport in 2008 and even reached the top 100 in the rankings by the next year. 

However, as injuries struck her, Dokic had to retire in 2014 owing to her stuttering form. And three years later, she revealed her struggles in her autobiography, igniting a crucial conversation about safeguarding in tennis. Now, as the movie is ready to release, people are coming together to show their support and Pam Shriver is one of them. Commenting on the post that revealed the documentary’s trailer, Shriver wrote, “Yep, another player failed by many tennis entities on safeguarding front. While things are better now, we have a long way to go still.”

As Shriver hinted, this is not new in the sport. Even the former World No. 1, Steffi Graf, had to endure abusive behaviors by her father, nicknamed ‘Papa Merciless’ by the media at the time. Besides, Jennifer Capriati’s complicated relationship with her father, Stefano, is another example of the same (as some accused Stefano of being the reason Capriati took a break from tennis in 1994). 

Coming back to Jelena Dokic, even after enduring such hardships in the past, she once revealed how she has utilized her “vulnerabilities” to her advantage!

Jelena Dokic reveals her “biggest strength”!

Despite her struggles, Jelena Dokic does not intend to be “defeated” by her past. Even when her father tried to silence and threaten her, Dokic tried to find her “strength” during that time. Per her, vulnerability is not a sign of weakness but instead brings out one’s inner “courage.” And, when the 41-year-old finally released her autobiography in 2017, she admitted that it was the “happiest day” of her life. The Australian commentator now has a changed perspective.

“I’ve been able to turn all the pain and suffering into something extremely positive. My biggest strength is my vulnerability,” Dokic said. While Dokic knows she can’t wipe out the problem all by herself, she aims for a subtle change. She declared that instead of the victim, “it should be about holding accountable the perpetrators. We can’t do that without a safe space and environment.” Therefore, it is fair to say that Dokic’s courage in sharing her story has sparked a movement, with Shriver and others advocating for lasting change!