Jelena Dokic reacts to viral video of junior player being abused: "Just sickening to watch"
The former WTA player, who has previously described in her autobiography receiving physical and verbal abuse from her own father during her career, also called for the sport to take action.
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Jelena Dokic has called for the sport to take action against players being abused, reacting to a now viral video showing a junior receiving hits and kicks from a man, apparently her father, at an ITF event in Serbia.
The man is from China and has been arrested and charged by authorities, said Serbian press. Several players and coaches have commented on the incident.
Dokic is a former WTA player who has described receiving physical and verbal abuse during her career from her father, Damir, in her autobiography, and said she was emotional as she watched the video.
"It was just sickening to watch as someone who's been through it. I know what that feels like. I know what that looks like," the Croatian-born Aussie told the Australian TV program Today.
She also recalled an especially brutal episode she experienced as a 16-year-old on tour.
"I was actually kicked until I was unconscious a week before the US Open," said Dokic. "And it wasn't the only time."
She hopes that this recent, visible incident will spur tennis organizations to take more steps to prevent such abuse, which some of her fellow players have also spoken of experiencing.
"Unfortunately, it had to get to this and be filmed for this long for us to be able to see what that actually looks like. But now we need to do something about this," said Dokic.
The ITF appears to have opened an investigation.