Most in Australia will know the name Jelena Dokić but when it comes to the specifics of her rocky background and tennis career, awareness varies.  This documentary from directors Jessica Halloran and Ivan O’Mahoney is a “set the record straight” kind of movie.  Jelena already told her story in a 2017 autobiography (co-authored with Halloran) but, through the medium of cinema, it can now reach a wider audience.  Archival footage and interviews are used to get the messages across.

Born in Croatia in 1983, Jelena and her family fled their troubled homeland in the early 1990s (the Yugoslav Wars were underway) and emigrated to Sydney, Australia.  Jelena’s father, Damir, had become a fan of tennis on television and, with no money to pay for a coach, he started training her himself.  At the age of just 15, Jelena won the girls’ singles title at the 1998 U.S. Open and one year later, she became a teenage superstar by teaming up with Mark Philippoussis to win the Hopman Cup in Perth (the first time Australia had ever won the event).

Despite her success and bubbly disposition on the court, it was the actions of Damir which dominated talk within tennis circles and the media.  He accused Australian Open officials of rigging the draw against his daughter, he was drunkenly evicted from hospitality at the U.S. Open, and he was sentenced to a year’s prison time in Serbia for illegal weapons possession and threatening the Australian ambassador.

Damir’s outlandish behaviour made him a media darling.  He would appear on shows including A Current Affair and Burke’s Backyard, and feature in television advertisements for companies including Kia.  This film clearly has a point to make about how the growing spread of quick, clickbait-style journalism overrode the desire to dig deeper into Damir’s conduct.  Hard-hitting investigative journalism was becoming a thing of the past.

The movie relies heavily on current-day interviews and “talking heads” (not my preferred style) but it’s still a powerful documentary.  Jelena opens-up about the savage abuse, both physical and mental, dished out by her father over many years which would lead to suicidal thoughts, depression and anxiety.  Some stories are startling – such as what took place after Jelena’s semi-final loss at Wimbledon in 2000.

Jelena’s words are the film’s focus but conversations with former players, officials, coaches, and staff help validate her story.  I particularly enjoyed the insight of former grand slam champion Lindsay Davenport who faced-off on court against Jelena many times (including an infamous match at the Australian Open).  We don’t hear from Damir nor Jelena’s mother, Ljiljana, as they declined involvement.   can understand why but it’s a shame we don’t hear their current-day views.  Do they have any remorse at all?

Asking questions of the audience about what we’re prepared to turn a blind eye to (so many people knew of Jelena’s troubles but did nothing), Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story is compelling viewing.