Following a painful breakup two and a half years ago, Jelena Dokic, former WTA world No. 4, took to Instagram to mourn the end of her nearly 19-year relationship with Tin Bikic. Despite facing numerous challenges in her life, the retired Australian tennis player shared her deep sorrow and the significant impact of the breakup on her emotional well-being.
In her most recent Instagram post, Dokic shared a black-and-white photo showing a male and female hands intertwined, along with a raw and emotional caption. She started with a somber reflection: “Sometimes ‘forever’ just doesn’t work out, but you will be ok.” This sentiment captures the essence of her message, blending heartbreak and hope.
Dokic poured out her emotions, describing the pain of losing a loved one despite all efforts to salvage the relationship. “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 will resonate with anyone who has experienced the agony of a breakup.
She continued to express the confusion and hurt that follows 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.”
As a Wimbledon semifinalist in 2000, Dokic acknowledged the profound grief and the challenge of moving 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.”
Despite the overwhelming sadness, Dokic shared 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.
