Jelena Dokic Part Of TV Commentators Booth For Hopman Cup In Perth

Written by: Staff on 14th December 2013

Jelena Dokic Part Of TV Commentators Booth For Hopman Cup In Perth

epa01610237 Australian Jelena Dokic celebrates after she won her third round match against Danish Caroline Wozniacki at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 23 January 2009. EPA/OLIVER WEIKEN |

Jelena Dokic joins the commentary team for the Hopman Cup in Perth starting December 28. Dokic, currently without a ranking and a first-round loser at the Australian Open pre-qualifying event, has not played a professional match since late 2012 due to her continuing run of injuries, bad luck and illness.she did have wrist surgery and hopes to keep all of her options open.

Now the Balkan-born Australian appears to be at a career crossroads, with advisors including former doubles ace Todd Woodbridge telling Melbourne’s Age newspaper that Dokic may need to consider her options. “We’ve had lots of discussions about her future, and she’s adamant that she wants to play for another couple of years; she really wants to get to be fully fit and play tennis,” he said. “But I’ve also said ‘that’s great, and I think that’s something that you need to do, but you need to be planning your future, and making a new career path’, and she’s really warmed to that idea and understanding.”

Woodbridge says that Dokic joining Fred Stolle and Darren Cahill on the television team for the eight-nation mixed team event will be good for Dokic. “She’s going to Perth on three fronts: to keep the comeback and the tennis going and to get plenty of hitting, then potentially she may sneak a (practice) match in, and then also to do some commentary.

“That’s putting the foot in the door to learn that part of the game, and the media. There’s no person out there who’s had more experiences than Jelena, in both the highs and the lows. I know how interested I am when I talk to her about what’s gone on in her career. I think she’s got great stories to tell, and I’ve actually found her quite motivating myself over the past eight weeks, because of the discipline and dedication she’s put into getting herself back on track.”

Dokic will also hold herself out as a hitting partner at the Hopman, where Bernard Tomic and Samantha Stosur will represent Australia.

P.S. In 2012 10sballs sat down and chatted with Jelena. We have no doubt that she really wants it so much that she will achieve a few more monumental wins. The girl is hard working. She lives tennis. She wants to fill a trophy case. She just was injured and couldn’t perform. But even hurt she tried harder than most. She has the heart of a champion. That said we hope she can do a “Tommy Haas ” and get back up there.

Topics: 10sballs.com, Australian Open, Bernard Tomic, Darren Cahill, Fred Stolle, Hopman Cup, Jelena Dokic, Samantha Stosur, Tennis, Tennis News, Tommy Haas