Tomorrow night, Nine keeps the tennis vibes going with Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story.
Unbreakable, based on the book of the same name by Jessica Halloran, begins with what should be one of the proudest moments – 16-year-old Jelena Dokic, a qualifier ranked 129, thrashing world No. 1 Martina Hingis in the first round at Wimbledon in 1999. But when she notices her father wasn’t even applauding, it’s a stark opening moment to this story.
When learn that Dokic, born in Croatia in 1983, was just six years old when she started playing tennis. Her father, Damir, views the sport as “a way out of poverty.” The family eventually settled in Sydney after fleeing the Balkan Wars, and it’s here that Dokic really started to find success. But while she got as high as world No. 4, behind closed doors there was physical and emotional abuse, which Dokic herself recounts.
Directed by Ivan O’Mahoney and co-author of her books Jessica Halloran, Unbreakable features first-hand testimonies from Jelena herself, as well as Australian and international tennis greats including Todd Woodbridge, Lindsay Davenport, Pam Shriver, and Mark Philippoussis, as well as former coaches Tony Roche and Lesley Bowrey, and Tennis Australia CEO Craig Tiley.
While Unbreakable is a tough watch at time, it covers Dokic’s entire career and shows just how remarkable she is to have achieved what she has, given the circumstances.
4.5 Stars
Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story airs Wednesday 29 January at 9:00pm on Nine.