Jelena Dokic reveals that being heavily booed by the Australian Open crowd just hours after switching to representing Yugoslavia was "the worst moment" of her entire career.
After moving to Australia at the age of 11, Dokic started her career as an Australian player and instantly drew positive attention to herself after reaching the 2000 Wimbledon semifinal as a 17-year-old teenager.
Just as the hype surrounding Dokic was increasing in Australia, she announced the news that left the entire tennis world baffled - just before her 2001 Australian Open first-round match versus Kim Clijsters, she announced that she had decided to represent Yugoslavia. Needless to say, the Australian public wasn't impressed at all and she was greeted by very loud boos throughout her three-set defeat to Lindsay Davenport at Melbourne Park.
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Later, she revealed that she didn't make that decision, but that her physically and verbally father Damir forced her into making that move.
Dokic: 15,000 people booing me at the Australian Open... I just wanted to disappear
That was the worst moment of my life. When he changed allegiances from Australia to play for Yugoslavia 24 hours before my first round of the Australian Open, against the world No. 1, Lindsay Davenport, and to get the booing of 15,000 people I just wanted to disappear," the former world No. 4 said on ABC News In-depth's Australian Story.
In 2005, Dokic disappeared for a period of time. Then, she returned to Australia - opened up about the abuse she endured from her father - and announced that she was returning to representing Australia.
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"I am an Australian, I feel like an Australian and I want to play for Australia again," the 2000 Wimbledon semifinalist said at the time.
Over the years, Dokic has spoken numerous times and detailed the abuse she went through. In May, her father Damir died at the age of 67. The former Australian tennis star didn't attend the funeral.
