Two and a half years after her painful breakup, former WTA world No. 4 Jelena Dokic shared a heartfelt Instagram post mourning the end of her nearly 19-year relationship with Tin Bikic. The retired Australian tennis player, who has faced numerous challenges in her life, expressed her deep sorrow and the profound impact of the breakup on her emotional well-being.
In her latest Instagram post, Dokic shared a black-and-white photo of a male and female hands intertwined at a waist, accompanied by a raw and emotional caption. She began with a sobering reflection: “Sometimes ‘forever’ just doesn’t work out, but you will be ok.” This sentiment encapsulates the essence of her message, a blend of heartbreak and hope.
Dokic poured out her emotions, writing about the pain of losing a loved one despite all efforts to make the relationship work. “Your hands, arms, and hearts will never be intertwined again. No matter what you do, no matter how much you love, no matter how much of yourself you give, no matter how much you fight, no matter how much you try, no matter how much you want to sacrifice, it’s just done,” she lamented. Her words resonate with anyone who has experienced the anguish of a breakup.
She continued to express the bewilderment and hurt that comes with such a loss: “You don’t know why. Sometimes you will not even get an explanation, let alone closure. Or sometimes the love is just gone. They leave you and that’s it. Now, you are crushed and shattered, and your heart is smashed into a million pieces.”
The 2000 Wimbledon semifinalist acknowledged the deep grief and the struggle to move on: “You are grieving and you will grieve for a long time. Being left, especially when you thought it’s going to be forever by the love of your life, is a loss. It’s a different type of loss. Only those who were left can understand it.”
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Despite the overwhelming sadness, Dokic offered a message of resilience and hope. She encouraged her followers to hold on and believe that they will heal in time. “But here is the thing, you will recover and while you will never be the same again, you can be better and stronger and wiser. Even though every part of you wants to hold on, you have to let go. Because for whatever reason, it wasn’t meant to be,” she wrote. This message underscores the importance of self-love and the belief that better days will come.
Dokic’s journey through heartbreak has been public and fraught with other significant challenges. Besides her rocky relationship with her father, Damir Dokic, and her fleeing from war in Yugoslavia during childhood, she has battled depression, anxiety, stress, and suicidal thoughts in recent years. Food became her coping mechanism, leading to substantial weight gain. The COVID-19 pandemic and strict lockdowns in Australia further strained her mental health. The breakup with Bikic added another layer of trauma to her already heavy emotional load.
Dokic concluded her recent post with a message of solidarity and encouragement for others going through similar experiences. “With time, the pain will disappear, you will heal and move on. You will be ok. It will be ok. You can get through so much more than you think, and this is just a test. The pain will pass, and things will make sense. Just don’t ever give up, especially on yourself. Love yourself. That’s the most important thing,” she urged.
She has a great career as a commentator and is very good at it, but I think she should stop talking about this emotional stuff quite so much. It leaves her open to and maybe even invites personal commentary which is not necessarily all going to be positive or help her. I know she had a terrible childhood and all and breaking up with the guy was a bummer but she really needs to move on. She is attractive and successful now and she should own that.
I find all of this posting from Jelena tiring… these long winded posts, urging others to ‘stay strong’, ‘stay positive’ ‘love yourself’ ..blah blah blah. It just comes across as trite and like cheesy pop psychology.