Yesterday, news surfaced that former tennis star Jelena Dokic’s father, Damir Dokic, passed away at the age of 66 last week in Serbia. While Jelena initially remained silent, she has now opened up about the complex emotions surrounding his death in an Instagram post. She and her brother, Savo, also published an obituary in the Serbian newspaper Politika.
Despite the years of emotional and physical abuse she endured at the hands of her father, Jelena has expressed deep sorrow over his passing. In recent years, she has spoken openly about the trauma she experienced, detailing the lasting impact it has had on her life. Though they had been estranged for a decade, the grief of losing a parent remains profound. Together with her brother, Savo, Jelena published an obituary in the Serbian newspaper Politika, informing loved ones of the funeral and expressing their sadness.
“With great sorrow, we inform family and friends that on May 16, 2025, our dear and beloved father passed away. The funeral will take place on May 22, 2025, at 2 p.m. at the New Cemetery in Vrdnik. You will forever remain in our hearts and thoughts. Mourned by son Savo and daughter Jelena.”
Sharing a childhood photo with her father, Jelena also wrote on Instagram:
“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.
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.”
Looking at the old photo of cute little Jelena and her father, one can’t help but feel emotional. It’s deeply tragic that the person who should have been her greatest protector and support turned out to be her biggest threat and abuser. While to an outside observer it might seem like good news that he is now gone, the truth is far more complicated. Everything Jelena went through with her father has profoundly shaped her as a person and formed a core part of her identity. Closing this major chapter in her life naturally comes with mixed emotions, a sense of both loss and relief.
Women’s Tennis Blog