"You are a strong woman, and you have tremendous love and support from afar" - Chris Evert sends a touching message after Jelena Dokic's revelation of mental health struggles
In a post on social media on Monday, Jelena Dokic courageously opened up about her mental health struggles, revealing that she almost took her own life less than two months ago. She spoke about the most difficult moment of her life, before sending across a message of positivity and hope.
Dokic's revelation drew messages of support and solidarity from all over the world. Among those messages was a special one from tennis legend Chris Evert, who took to social media to show her support.
"You are a strong woman! And you have tremendous love and support from afar (heart emojis)," Evert wrote on Twitter.
You are a strong woman! And you have tremendous love and
support from afar… ❤️❤️❤️ twitter.com/opencourt/stat…
In her original statement, Jelena Dokic spoke about her battle with depression
"Will never forget the day...The last six months have been tough. It’s been constant crying everywhere," Dokic said in her post on Instagram.
She then vowed to "come back stronger than ever" and further attempted to inspire others who are going through similar difficulties, with her positive words.
"I am writing this because I know I am not the only one struggling. Just know that you are not alone. I am not going to say that I am doing great now but I am definitely on the road to recovery. Some days are better than others and sometimes I take a step forward and then a step back but I’m fighting and I believe I can get through this," Dokic wrote.
"It’s ok to feel this way and you can come back from it. It’s possible, just keep believing. Love you all and here is to fighting and surviving to live and see another day. I will be back stronger than ever," Dokic added.
The former player, who is now an active commentator on the tennis tour, said that getting professional help has played a huge role in her recovery.
When Jelena Dokic shared a wonderful moment with Alize Cornet on the court at the Australian Open
Earlier this year, during the 2022 Australian Open, French player Alize Cornet secured one of the biggest wins of her career to reach the quarterfinals of the Grand Slam.
In a moment that was Cornet's to cherish, she reserved some words of affection and praise for Jelena Dokic, who was interviewing her on the court.
"First, I want to tell you (Dokic) something. How you moved on in your life. I think we can all congratulate you, because you were an amazing player and now you are an amazing commentator," said Cornet.
This remains my moment of the year: in a moment entirely all to do with her, Alizé Cornet made space in the spotlight for a friend in need and gave Jelena Dokic her flowers. https://t.co/f9sMuJVQt0
The two players then shared a warm embrace as an emotional Dokic thanked Cornet. The French player further reminisced about a missed opportunity to play against Dokic at the 2009 Australian Open, as she lost before the potential match-up.
"I wanted to play against you (Docic) so bad I was so disappointed. I loved your game and I was so excited about playing the quarterfinal against you. I couldn't and it was really painful. And now 13 years later I mean, you're here, I'm still here," Cornet said.
Dokic won 6 singles titles and 4 doubles titles on the WTA tour during her playing career. She shot to fame by defeating Martina Hingis at the 1999 Wimbledon Championships, as a 16-year-old. The Australian also reached the Wimbledon singles semifinals in 2000 and the French Open doubles final the following season.