In 1999, 16-year-old Jelena Dokic pulled off one of the most staggering upsets in Grand Slam history. In straight sets, the World Number 129 trounced World Number One, Martina Hingis, in the first round of Wimbledon.
Jelena Dokic’s story is a remarkable one that begins with her family fleeing the former Yugoslavia as refugees. Though Jelena achieved World Number 4 status by age 19, she struggled with off-court obstacles – from poverty to racism, illness and injury to surviving her volatile father, Damir.
In conversation with Karen Lyon, this gutsy and resilient champion will talk tough beginnings, tumultuous tennis and bright futures.
Featuring
Featuring
Jelena Dokic was a prodigious tennis player who made the quarter-finals of Wimbledon at the age of just 16. She was heralded as Australia’s greatest tennis hope since Evonne Goolagong. She had exceptional skills, a steely nerve and an unrivalled fight on the court. At 17 she reached the semi-final... Read more
For more than two decades, Karen Lyon has covered Melbourne and its sports-obsessed culture. She was a political reporter before crossing the boundary line to sport in 1999, and has been covering the world of sport ever since. Karen has witnessed some of the world’s biggest sporting events for the... Read more
