Australian tennis legend has Jelena Dokic has opened up on a time in her life when she “had no social skills left” and her relationship came to a crushing end.
In an interview with The Australian Women’s Weekly, Dokic also named the unlikely hero during this extremely tough time in her life.
“When I retired (from tennis at 29), I was a shadow of myself. I literally couldn’t string two sentences together, I was afraid to get out of the house, I couldn’t look people in the eye, I had no social skills left,” she said.
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Dokic’s tennis career came to an end in 2014 after making a brief return in 2008.
Then, two days before Christmas in 2021, her long-time relationship with Tin Bikic also came to an end.
The 41-year-old still has a strong relationship with Bikic but admitted she was a mess after their 19-year romance ended.
But there was one special man in her life who helped get her life together after both these rock-bottom moments.
And that was Aussie doubles tennis great Todd Woodbridge.
She said she still vividly remembers what Woodbridge said to her after her tennis career ended.
“(He said) … ‘What are we going to do?’”
And it was the use of the word “we” that stuck in her mind.. Suddenly, she knew she wasn’t alone.
“He said, ‘You can commentate, you can be on TV. You can do so much with your experience and your story,’” she said.
She also admitted it was Woodbridge who again stepped up and picked up the pieces when her relationship ended.
She said it was late in the night, he took her to his home, and organised therapy sessions for her the very next day.
“I always say, ‘Be somebody’s Todd’,” Dokic said.
She also said Bikic was still a very important person in her life and they were on “great terms”.
“He is the kindest and best person with the best heart. His belief in me through the good and the bad and the worst really saved my life,” she said.