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2001
AUSTRALIAN OPEN
MELBOURNE,
AUSTRALIA
January 15,
2001
L.
DAVENPORT/J. Dokic
4-6, 6-4, 6-3
An Interview
With:
JELENA DOKIC
THE
MODERATOR: Questions for
Jelena, please.
Q. Richard,
channel 7. How did it feel
walking out there today?
There was a mixed reception
for you?
JELENA
DOKIC: Yeah, it did. I think
it was actually quite okay.
I mean it's something I've
had to deal with, and I
think I did well. You know,
they clapped my good points
and her good points. I think
it's always going to be
tough playing Lindsay
because she's a crowd
favorite everywhere. I mean,
she's one of the best
players in the world.
Q. You must
have expected mixed
reception of sorts?
JELENA
DOKIC: Yeah, I did. I mean,
I actually think it was
quite good in ways. I
expected a lot worse, but I
actually didn't let it
bother me at all, whatever
it was going to be. And I
think mentally, I was very
good out there today.
Q. You say
you were expecting it to be
a lot worse, yet the
Australian public have
always been behind you.
JELENA
DOKIC: Yeah, they have. I
mean, like I said, you know,
it was quite good, and
whatever it was going to be,
I was going to try and deal
with it. That's what you've
got to do. And I think I did
pretty well.
Q. Do you
stand by your decision to
represent Yugoslavia?
JELENA
DOKIC: Yes. Right now. And I
haven't thought about it any
further.
Q. Your dad
was on television just
before you walked out on
court saying that regardless
of the outcome of tonight's
match you were likely going
to withdraw from the
tournament. Is that true?
JELENA
DOKIC: I didn't see that. I
don't know that that was --
that comment was made, and,
you know, I probably would
have gone out there and
played. I don't know, I
didn't think about it. You
know, I didn't win today and
that's something I don't
have to consider now.
Q. So you
had not discussed that with
your father then?
JELENA
DOKIC: Like I said, I didn't
know that that was on
tonight. I didn't know about
that.
Q. So you
knew it was going to be on,
but not necessarily tonight?
JELENA
DOKIC: No, I didn't know
anything. No.
Q. How
difficult has it been for
you the past few days?
JELENA
DOKIC: It's been okay. I
mean I've dealt with it
fine. I've practiced and
gotten ready and, you know,
I think I'm more, you know,
concerned with how I'm
playing right now than
anything else. And, you
know, that's what I'm happy
with. I've done well in Hong
Kong and even out there
today, you know, it was
tough to break her serve.
But to get close to, you
know, No. 2 player in the
world - I think she's
probably one of the best out
there right now - it feels
really good because I lost
to her a lot easier the last
time we played. I'm very
confident of my tennis right
now.
Q. You said
before you were standing by
your decision to stand by
Yugoslavia right now. Do you
think it's a possibility it
might change?
JELENA
DOKIC: No, like I said. I
haven't thought about that.
I'm playing for Yugoslavia
right now. That's the end of
that.
Q. What does
it offer you that Australia
doesn't?
JELENA
DOKIC: That's where I was
born, that's where I'm from.
It was just a decision we
made and we're standing by
it right now.
Q. It may
just be the Australian
media, could be Tennis
Australia as well, but the
fact is a lot of the
Australian public have
supported you. What do you
say to those that have
supported you for the last
few years?
JELENA
DOKIC: You know what,
there's just been so many
people that have stood by
me, even out there today.
I'm grateful for that. I
think a lot of people don't
sort of understand some of
the things, but I think they
will stand by me no matter
what my decision is because
I've played for Australia
for quite a few years. I've
always done well in Fed Cup,
the Olympics and Hopman Cup
as well. It's something that
they respect, and I think
they probably are still
hoping that I'm going to
come back and play for
Australia. But I think I
have a lot of crowd support
everywhere I go, especially
in Australia.
Q. Your dad
has said that he doesn't get
on to well with the
Australian media. Is it all
the media? Is it portions of
the media? If it's just a
segment of the media, isn't
that going to happen in any
country?
JELENA
DOKIC: I don't know. I mean,
there's been a lot of things
written about my dad and
also then about me and my
family, which -- just things
that aren't right. We've
been assaulted by the media
a lot and I think he feels
very strongly about that and
he's not very happy with
what has been written,
especially in the last few
months.
Q. There's
been a lot of positive
things written about you and
your tennis.
JELENA
DOKIC: There has been. I
think it should be, because
I've done well. But then on
the other hand, even though
I've done well, there have
been a lot of things written
that weren't right and that
shouldn't be written --
shouldn't have been written.
Q. Did you
hear the crowd getting quite
-- gave you quite a warm
reception, a send-off when
you were leaving after the
match. You didn't
acknowledge it. What was the
reason for that?
JELENA
DOKIC: Well, I think I was,
you know, it was the match
more than anything.
Disappointment. But I don't
know, I think it was still a
very, very mixed crowd and
it was -- I don't think I
knew what to do because I
just thought maybe I should
just leave it and not do
anything because, you know,
there were people that were
going for me. There were
people that were going for
Lindsay. It was a tight
match. But, you know, like I
said, there were a lot of
people that were supporting
me, and that's great to see.
Q. You said
your father feels very
strongly about the negative
media coverage. Do you feel
as strongly about all these
issues as he does?
JELENA
DOKIC: Actually about the
media, I do. I think, you
know, I haven't been here
that much but I have seen a
few articles that, again, I
don't think they should be
-- should have been written.
And it just isn't right
after, you know, I've played
for Australia for a long
time and did well every time
I've played for Australia
and I've beaten world-class
players playing in team
events for Australia. I
just, you know, some of the
things that have been
written I'm not happy with.
Q. What is
it that's wrong that you
want to clear up? The stuff
that's been printed or said
about your father, what
about it is wrong?
JELENA
DOKIC: Every time something
came up, they've always
attacked him. There was
never positive things
written about my dad or
about me and my family,
especially in the last
couple of months. A lot of
people telling us that, you
know, they don't want me to
play for Australia and that
I don't belong here, which I
don't think is right after
everything I have done. But,
again, there's always
something negative written,
you know, even when there
are positives.
Q. Sandra
Harwitt from the United
States. Don't you think kind
of when you take on this
role of being a celebrity
and everything, sometimes it
just happens that way and
you really can't control
what's written and plenty of
stars, some actors and
actresses, have put up with
it and don't pay attention
to it because you can't
control it.
JELENA
DOKIC: Well, yeah. I know,
but I have been -- I really
have been written about in a
really negative way. That's
why my dad feels really
strongly about that. I'm
starting to feel the same
way. But then again,
hopefully that will clear up
and hopefully all of this
will be behind me and then,
you know, like I said, just
then I'm going to try and
concentrate on my tennis.
Q. I know
you're planning on moving to
the United States, to
Florida. What kind of
relationship are you
planning to have with
Yugoslavia and the public
and the tennis community
there?
JELENA
DOKIC: Well, I'm a resident.
I'll be a resident both of
Florida in the States and
Yugoslavia. I'll have
residence in both of those
places, and I'll just be
representing Yugoslavia. And
I think, you know, I'll also
be residing there.
Q. Nicole
Pratt said she would be
supportive, she and several
other players would be
supportive. Has she managed
to talk to you at all?
JELENA
DOKIC: No, I haven't talked
to too many players. It's
been really just a day or
two. But, you know, I know
that a lot of players will
be supportive, and, you
know, that's great that I
can get support from the
players and that they
understand what type of
situation I'm in.
Q. Do you
think you'll be playing in
Australia again?
JELENA
DOKIC: It's something,
again, I mean there are only
a couple of tournaments in
Australia at the beginning
of the year and something
that I haven't thought
about. It hasn't been
discussed about. But, you
know, we'll see.
Q. You've
lived here the majority of
your life that you remember.
Are there good memories at
all?
JELENA
DOKIC: Definitely. I've
lived here for a long time.
I love Australia and
Australians. I've always
said that. I've always
encouraged that, and the
support that they give me. I
have never been against
anybody or anything in
Australia or about
Australia. I've always said
that. You know, I have never
said anything bad about
that. I've really enjoyed
being here.
Q. This is a
lot to handle for someone as
young as yourself?
JELENA
DOKIC: I think it is. I
think I've had quite a bit
of it. I think what makes
me, in a way, stronger, I
think I'm mentally strong
and try and block things
out. I think a lot of
players would, you know,
under the circumstances,
would just, you know, crush
and playing out there would
just not be able to handle
it. I'm very happy with
myself in that regard. And
like I said, I am able to
concentrate on the tennis.
Q. Was your
father watching the match at
your hotel? What was he
doing tonight?
JELENA
DOKIC: I don't know. I don't
think so.
Q. He wasn't
watching?
JELENA
DOKIC: No.
Q. Do you
know precisely when you will
be moving and what are your
expectations of life when
you get there?
JELENA
DOKIC: I've already been
practicing there. I've
already bought a place there
and have been there since
last year and I'll be going
straight after this
tournament again. There are
tournaments in the States
after this.
Q. Will you
go this week or tomorrow?
JELENA
DOKIC: Well, I still have
doubles and mixed. So we'll
see how that goes. And then
I'll go there because there
are some tournaments coming
up. I'm not playing too much
before April, but, you know,
which is going to be quite
tough. That's why I started
well in Hong Kong and wanted
to do well here as well, and
I was very disappointed with
the draw and -- but, you
know, it's something I have
to get past.
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