Jelena Dokic opens up: "I wish I had family support like Kyrgios"
Aussie tennis legend Jelena Dokic, who recently opened up about the years of physical and emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her father, says Australia's Nick Kyrgios has one thing she never did – and it could give him the edge he needs to succeed.
“He has a great support system,” the former no.4 world tennis champ wrote in an op-ed for The Daily Telegraph.
“His beautiful mum Nill is a generous and kind soul … Nick is really fortunate to have such an amazing mum.
“I wish I had someone like Nill in my life when I was playing tennis. I know what it is like not to have a really strong family support system. I only was subjected to destructive and abusive behaviour from my father.
“I didn’t have any parent supporting me. I know how important that is. Nick has got that. That’s what is really helping Nick a lot. That he has them on tour with him.
“With family love like that around him on tour that can only help his dream of becoming a grand slam champion come true.”
Few athletes have had such a rocky relationship with their sport or its fans as Kyrgios. From being accused of “tanking” several games to walking out mid-match, the world no. 17 has even admitted that, on certain days, he’d “rather be doing something else than play[ing] tennis”.
But if his recent behaviour is anything to go by, 2018 could be a new dawn for Kyrgios, and fellow Aussie tennis legend Jelena Dokic says it’s time we gave him a second chance.
“I believe in him and if you don’t already, you should too,” Dokic wrote in the op-ed.
Dokic says Kyrgios has it in him to win a grand slam, and that this year’s Australian Open could see it happen.
“Over the past year Nick has matured. While his on-court behaviour may have frustrated some fans of the game in the past I like the fact he is able to admit he has made mistakes. I like that he is aware of what those mistakes are.
“He is aware he can struggle a little bit mentally and emotionally. He struggles having a full-time coach and likes to go it alone at times which is fine. He’s aware that sometimes he struggles with motivation and being away from home for long periods of time.
“We have to appreciate his honesty in opening up about his difficulties. We have to respect his honesty about mistakes he has made.”
In addition to “working his heart out” on the court, Dokic says Kyrgios should also be praised for his underpublicised work with his charity, the NK Foundation, which helps underprivileged children.