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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 19, 2009

Jelena Dokic

MELBOURNE, VICTORIA

J. DOKIC/T. Paszek
6-2, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How did you feel serving out the match today? Had a lot of close first-round matches.
JELENA DOKIC: That was a while ago. But having that first match of the year in Brisbane really helped. Had some chances there, which I missed. I think probably would have happened today if I didn't have that much under my belt.
It was good to be in that position. You know, I kind of had a match where I was winning in Brisbane and lost it. So it was good to have that one.
I played a pretty comfortable game at 5-4. I served well, but I was tight.

Q. How satisfying is that, to get a win in a Grand Slam? Do you feel the pressure is off your shoulders?
JELENA DOKIC: I don't think there was any pressure on me, because she's 70 in the world. She was the clear favorite in this match still, just like AmÃ©lie was in Brisbane.
I knew I had a chance to beat her if I played well. I practiced with her a couple of times. I knew if I can hang in there, not make too much errors, kind of hang in the match, I knew I could have a shot.
After I won the first set I really got nervous. But it's great. This is huge for me. You know, after pretty much a three-year absence, to start the year with a win at a Grand Slam is really huge for me.
I didn't really have any goals or expectations for myself for the first three or four months of the year. I just wanted to work really hard and see what I can do.

Q. Compared to the Mauresmo match, quality-wise do you think you were better, worse?
JELENA DOKIC: No, I think I played much better against AmÃ©lie. That was a solid match for me. I didn't get nervous at all. Even though I had those chances, I missed them. She played some good points.
Today I was really, really nervous. I don't know if I ever had my right hand that tight, you know. Pretty much cramped up, especially in the third set.
But you can't help the nerves sometimes. It was a pretty big court for me to play on straight up. Yeah, it was a little bit of everything. I'm glad that I got through. I really played the big points well, which I'm really proud of myself. I really played the third set well.
You know, she had some chances, and I did as well. I won a couple of those close games.

Q. Do you feel like you need to take the next step? There's Casey and Sam left. Do you feel like you need to take another step and get the No. 1 spot in Australian women's tennis back?
JELENA DOKIC: I mean, we're all out here competing. I think Sam's a great player. She really has the potential to be a top-20 player. She really has the big shots.
Casey I don't know so well. I haven't watched her play that much. She had a pretty good year last year.
I'm not out here to compete against them. I'm out here to do as best as I can and see how far I can do, then try to challenge the best in the world.
It would be great to be the No. 1 Australian, of course. But, you know, at this stage this is not my goal. I still have a long way to go. I'm just trying to work hard every day, every practice session, every gym session. For me this is what I need to do right now.

Q. You had a lot of support out there. Do you actually hear the crowd at all, or do you block it out to stay focused?
JELENA DOKIC: No, I did. It was good. Especially after I lost the second set, I got up in the third, they really got behind me, which was great. I don't know when was the last time that the crowd was really like that. I think it was even better than in Brisbane.
It was a good feeling. At 5-4 going to serve, at 30-All, they were really behind me. So it was great to have that.

Q. You have a new clothing sponsor?
JELENA DOKIC: We're working on it (smiling).

Q. Can you tell us about how difficult it was to come back, because you've been for such a long time trying to play competitively.
JELENA DOKIC: I was trying, but it was not really there. I had other issues going on in my life. I think that was obvious. I battled severe depression for about two years. Didn't play for months at a time. Was really seriously thinking about not playing.
You know, tennis is not the most important thing in the world, but it's something that I love. I was very disappointed when I couldn't play well. It was a tough time in my life. I had a lot to go through, a lot of family issues.
It's really a miracle for me. It's really emotional to win today. What I had to go through, it's really great to have this win. I don't think a lot of people know what it means to me (tearing up). It's great to be here at a Grand Slam.

Q. What kept you going?
JELENA DOKIC: I don't know. It was tough at times. But, you know, sometimes you just try to believe, you have faith. God was my No. 1 priority. I really turned to that. Just a few people that were around in my life helped out, so...
Yeah, I don't know how I turned it around, because this time last year I was still trying. You know, I gave myself another six months, just tried to hang in there. You know, I'm trying to get ahold of it now and try not to go back again, try not to get in that stage of my life.
But I think it's over. I think I dealt with everything. You know, I'm really enjoying my tennis. It doesn't really have anything to do with ranking, money or anything. I just really love the game.
I think if I didn't like it so much, I don't think I would have played again.

Q. How are you feeling physically? You had a bit of an injury coming in.
JELENA DOKIC: It was not as serious as it seemed at first. It was more precaution, because a Grand Slam is a priority always. But it's good. It's no problems today. Also fitness-wise I feel pretty good.

Q. What's the longest you went without touching a racquet?
JELENA DOKIC: About seven or eight months. That was in 2007. Yeah, I was really struggling with everything: with my weight, with my mental state, with everything.

Q. Did you ever think then you would be in this position again?
JELENA DOKIC: No. That's why I said I wanted to take small steps. Satellites was the first goal. I did well last year. Didn't play a full year, but I did well.
For me to even play, I think I played a good match against AmÃ©lie in Brisbane. To win today is absolutely amazing. People think, Oh, it's just the first round of a Grand Slam. But for me it's a lot.
I pretty much went three years without playing. I heard on the men's side, like Hewitt and Baghdatis had injuries and they were off for four months. For me, I was laughing at that because I was out for three years. People don't know how hard it is to get back, to play in matches.
It's really difficult, but I think I've picked it up pretty quickly - even surprised myself.

Q. After you hadn't picked up a racquet for so many months in 2007, was there one thing that made you pick it up and start again?
JELENA DOKIC: No. I mean, I don't know. Just something clicked overnight. Like I said, I was dealing with so much stuff. I pretty much lost my family. Had no one there. Was really struggling. You know, people sometimes think you go off, you go on a holiday, you start partying and stuff like that. But it was not what happened with me. I wish it was. But I had really serious stuff to deal with.
I said to myself at the end of 2007, I will really try to get back in shape and give it one more shot. I played pretty well in Hobart, Australian Open last year. Kind of went step by step. Yeah, if I didn't have a little bit of a comeback in 2008 I wouldn't have played any more.
I was trying. I really wanted to give it one last shot. It was just a matter of whether I would be mentally strong enough again to play at this level and to compete, so...

Q. Do you have any expectations for the future?
JELENA DOKIC: Not at all. Like I said, I dealt with so much off the court that this is a joke to me now. Even though I still get nervous in matches like today, really this is like I'm really enjoying to be here every day. I went through hell and back. This is hopefully a reward for me for everything I went through.
I will try my best. If it ends up to be top 50 or top 20 or top 10, I'll be happy, as long as I can play for a few more years.

Q. Have you mended that relationship with your family?
JELENA DOKIC: No. I don't talk to my father.

Q. You don't talk to him?
JELENA DOKIC: No. I haven't for years. I talk to my mom. We're mending that relationship. As soon as I left home, my relationship, you know, went down the hill with my dad. It went down the hill with my whole family.
The biggest thing I regret is my brother, who is eight years younger than me. I didn't have contact with him for years until the last 12 months. That was the hardest thing to deal with.
But, yeah, I still feel like I've lost them. I will try my best, you know, to do what I can to patch up my things with my brother and my mom. I'm trying to do that. It will be difficult.
But it's not just that. I had so much to go through while my dad was on the tour. I was just so young and just had no real idea what was going on. But it was real difficult to take all that, what was going on off the court, all the outbursts. It was not easy to play with that. I played with a huge pressure on my shoulders. I kind of just cracked by the time I was 19 already.

Q. Away from your family and your personal drive to get back on the court, who has been the biggest influence for you?
JELENA DOKIC: I can really say only one person for about three or four years. Like I said, I'm trying to mend the relationship with my brother and my mom. But my boyfriend was there. We've been together for six years. He was there with me.
So it was probably even tougher for him at times than it was for me because he had to watch me go through all that. It was a constant battle every day, just how I will be, whether I will be able to get out of bed. He was there the whole time no matter what.
Yeah, that was probably the person that I have to thank the most for being here. A lot of it goes to him, so...

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