Jelena Dokic National Press Club Address

Australian tennis commentator, sports analyst and former professional player

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-finals at Wimbledon. By September 2000 she became an Olympian and finished fourth at the Sydney Games. By 18, she was in the world’s top 10. By 19, she was world No.4, holding her own against Monica Seles, Martina Hingis and Lindsay Davenport. She was the world No.9 in doubles. She went on to win her first WTA singles title at the Rome Masters in May 2001. She was also a French Open doubles finalist the same year. A shoulder and wrist injury prematurely finished her tennis career in 2013. One of the only female players to have won a WTA title on all four surfaces Jelena now spends her time mentoring young players. She has a vast amount of knowledge to share - her other career highlights include making her Fed Cup debut as a as a 15 year old - the youngest player ever – and winning both matches. She also won the Hopman Cup with Mark Philippoussis at 15. As well as mentoring she also enjoys doing media work. She has worked as a commentator on both Fox Sports News and Channel Seven’s tennis coverage. She currently lives in Melbourne.