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| Jelena Dokic |
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"I love the media attention and playing in front of crowds. I think sometimes you need to really go down to come back up even stronger"
- Jelena Dokic
| Date of Birth: April 12, 1983 |
| Birthplace: Osijek, Croatia. |
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| Jelena Dokic is blonde, pretty and athletic. That's enough to get any guy's blood pumping. Even for those who don't like tennis, her looks and skills on the court make the game fun to watch. |
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| While Jelena's performance declined in the early years of the '00s, it wasn't long ago that she was one of the best in women's tennis. She first got our attention at Wimbledon in 1999 when, as a virtual unknown, she beat Martina Hingis, the world's top player. Tennis isn't Jelena's only racket, though. She also models. |
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Jelena Damira Dokic was born on April 12, 1983, in Osijek, Croatia. She was the first of two children, with her brother Savo coming eight years later. She started playing tennis at the age of 7. Her father Damir coached her at the outset, although Jelena also received instruction from coaches at the Osijek Tennis Club.
The outbreak of war forced the Dokic family to move to Belgrade in 1991. Three years later, the clan left Europe entirely to settle in Australia. Upon her arrival, Jelena persisted with her tennis training, and it wasn't long before she was causing quite a buzz on the Aussie tennis scene. Recognizing her budding talent, government sports officials began investing thousands of dollars in the young prodigy, placing her in a series of training programs. Their investments paid dividends in 1998, when Jelena won the Jr. U.S. Open.
In spite of her early success, Jelena was off most everyone's radar screen when she entered pro tournaments the following year. After qualifying for Wimbledon ranked at No. 129, Jelena made history by scoring the tournament's biggest upset ever. She beat Martina Hingis, the world's top-ranked player, in the first round, making her the lowest-ranked player to ever defeat the top seed in a Grand Slam tournament. From there, Jelena advanced to the quarterfinals before being eliminated.
As she continued to achieve success in major events, Jelena's star continued to rise. She reached the semifinals at the following year's Wimbledon, becoming the first Australian woman to do so since 1980. That same year, Dokic represented her adoptive country in the 2000 Olympics. She reached the semifinals, then lost to Monica Seles in the bronze-medal match. |
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