Damir Dokić (Serbian: Дамир Докић, born 1950s) is a Serbian tennis coach. He is the father and ex-coach of former professional tennis player Jelena Dokic.[1] He gained notoriety for being involved in various incidents.

Dokić is a self-proclaimed veteran of the Croatian War of Independence, in which he fought on the side of the Serbs.[2] He also manufactures plum and pear "Eagle Brandy".[2]

At the 2001 Australian Open, after Jelena Dokic's first-round loss to Lindsay Davenport, Dokić said that there were irregularities in the draw and that he was banned from the tournament due to abusive behavior. He later said "I think the draw is fixed just for her."[3] Prior to this, in 2000, he threw a piece of fish at a cafeteria worker at the US Open after complaining about paying $10 for a skimpy piece of fish. He was then banned from the tournament.[4]

During the 2002 Australian Open, he was featured in a series of advertisements for Kia Motors, the title sponsor of the event, poking fun at his past misconduct. Kia defended the choice, citing 98 percent recognition of him and saying that he would not be too expensive.[5]

In June 2009, after he threatened the Australian ambassador to Serbia, Clare Birgin,[6] with a hand grenade, Dokić was sentenced to 15 months in prison for causing public danger and for the illegal possession of weapons. He appealed against the sentence but it was upheld in September 2009.[7] Following a further appeal, the sentence was reduced to 12 months[8] and Dokić was released from jail in April 2010.[9]

Jelena Dokic has alleged that her father had abused her physically on a regular basis during her career, detailing the allegations in her autobiography, Unbreakable.[10] In a December 2023 interview, she stated that she had not spoken to her father in over 10 years as he never apologized or attempted to make amends.[11]

References

  1. ↑ "Dad? He's out of the picture". The Guardian. April 6, 2003.
  2. 1 2 Milovanovic, Selma (2009-05-09). "Threats a joke, Dokic tells court". The Age. Fairfax. Retrieved 2009-05-22.
  3. ↑ "Dokic to be recognized as Yugoslav at Open". Sports Illustrated. 14 January 2001.
  4. ↑ "Tennis Dad Ousted After Noisy Racket". 31 August 2000.
  5. ↑ "Strange choices Down Under". Sports Illustrated. January 15, 2002.
  6. ↑ "Jelena Dokic's Father on Hunger Strike". Tennis Now. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  7. ↑ "Jail sentence upheld for Dokic's dad". ABC News. 2009-09-25. Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  8. ↑ "Damir Dokic has jail sentence cut". ABC News. 24 Feb 2010.
  9. ↑ "Jelena Dokic's dad Damir released from prison". Daily Telegraph. 16 Apr 2010.
  10. ↑ De Silva, Chris (7 April 2023). "Jelena Dokic shares chilling images from aftermath of brutal abuse during her career". wwos.nine.com.au.
  11. ↑ Jackson, Kieran (28 December 2023). "Jelena Dokic: 'I haven't spoken to my abusive father in 10 years – I sleep well at night'". The Independent.
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