For many Australians, and tennis fans around the world, Jelena Dokic is a household name.

In this episode, she opens up to Julia about her childhood surviving poverty and fleeing war-torn Yugoslavia, to her meteoric rise to fame on the tennis court, all the while silently suffering at the hands of an abusive father.

Now, the self-described 'victim, survivor, thriver' speaks openly about how she’s overcoming her mental health struggles and vicious online trolls to lead a happy and fulfilling life as a best-selling author, tennis commentator, motivational speaker and advocate against family violence.

Show notes:

Please be aware that parts of this episode may be distressing for some listeners. Help is available by contacting the 24-hour national counselling service 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732.

If you need mental health support, visit Beyond Blue.

If you need crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Jelena's books are published by Penguin and available at all good book stores.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jelena Dokic on tennis, abuse, mental health and her road to recovery 39:54 Share

A Podcast of One's Own with Julia Gillard

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Jelena Dokic on tennis, abuse, mental health and her road to recovery