"I was kicked until I was unconscious when I was 16" - Jelena Dokic reveals shocking details about parent abuse in light of recent viral video
It has been a few days since a disturbing video of a 14-year-old female tennis player receiving physical abuse from her father-cum-coach in Serbia went viral.
The horrifying video has angered the tennis world, with many demanding a procedure to deal with such cases. According to reports, the accused has been arrested.
Speaking on 9News Australia about the ugly incident, former World No. 4 Jelena Dokic stated that she was among the countless players to experience assault and abuse during her teenage years. She said what happened behind the scenes was even more terrifying.
"Thank you for having me talk about this really difficult subject and yes, it was extremely triggering for me," Dokic said. "It was just sickening to watch and as someone who has been through it, I know what that feels like, I know what that looks like. After an assault like this on myself, I was kicked until I was unconscious, a week before the US Open, when I was 16. It wasn't the only time, and unfortunately, what happens behind closed doors is even worse. There's no doubt about that."
Dokic added that something had to be done about the regular abuse incidents and that more discussion was needed to raise awareness among people.
"Unfortunately, it had to get to this and be filmed for this long for us to be able to see what that actually looks like. But now we need to do something about this. This was what I was talking about when I came out with my story that this happens and I'm not the first or the last. It's about how we deal with it and whether we're doing enough. This is the ugly side of sport and tennis and it needs to be talked about," she added.
"I was actually kicked until I was unconscious, a week before the US Open, when I was 16."
Jelena Dokic discusses her own experiences with abuse as a player - her memories "triggered" by the horrific video that shook the tennis world. #9News https://t.co/lycBwH19wF
"People filming for this long without intervening, absolute disgrace" - Victoria Azarenka on the video of 14-year-old girl's physical abuse
After a video of the physical abuse of the 14-year-old girl by her father went viral in the last few days, Victoria Azarenka took to social media to express her disgust. In her Instagram stories, the former World No. 1 demanded accountability while criticizing people for recording the video instead of intervening and helping the girl.
"I don't know who this person is, but wtf is this?!? People filming for this long without intervieng, absolute disgrace. And it happens so much, there has to accountability. Please report who this person is if somebody knows," Azarenka wrote.