In her autobiography “Unbreakable”, Jelena Dokic reports on the support she received from colleagues who helped her to continue her career despite massive problems away from the tennis court. Martina Hingis, Monica Seles and Lindsay Davenport in particular have played a decisive role with their empathy.
Dokic talks about a situation at the Australian Open when she met Davenport in the first round. She is booed out as she enters the square, forcing her father to give up her Australian passport and take Yugoslav citizenship shortly before.
“After the party, in the locker room, I’ll break down,”Dokic writes.”Linday sees me, and she hugs me. I’m so incredibly sad that I can’t say a word, but I appreciate that she came to me.”
“I would like to thank her for dealing so favourably with this situation,”recalls Dokic,”At the press conference afterwards she said (Linday, Note) that this was the worst moment she has ever experienced. I could see how uncomfortable she felt about the hostile atmosphere.”
Dokic also writes about some of the training days to which Martina Hingis invited the 34-year-old to Zurich in 1998:”I had big problems finding friends in the Australian tennis community, but the number one in the world didn’t mind spending time with me,”Dokic is grateful.
A few months later, the former number four in the world won one of her biggest victories, beating Hingis 6-2 6-0 in the first round of Wimbledon.
Only one month earlier, Dokic lost 9:11 in the third set against local hero Emmanuelle Curutchet in her debut at the French Open at the age of 16. Devastated by the defeat, Dokic said in the cabin after the match to her mother, she would like to stop playing tennis.
“My greatest idol, Monica Seles, is suddenly in front of me.’ It’s gonna be all right’, she said.’ Tomorrow you’ll feel different.'”
“‘ You’re only 16, but you’re already playing so well. I’m grateful for her words.”