Dokic confirms she will not play in Australian Open
Jelena Dokic confirmed on Saturday she would not play in next year's Australian Open because she still does not feel welcome in the country she lived in for six years.
Dokic, Australia's top-ranked woman's player until a bitter row with the Australian media drove her back to her native Yugoslavia last year, said it would be an unnecessary risk to play in the season's first grand slam.
"I just don't feel I'm ready to go back there," said Dokic, who ended her season with a 7-6 6-0 loss to world number one Serena Williams in the quarter-finals of the WTA Tour Championships. "I don't think it would be a good idea.
"I don't think I would have a good reaction from the media, fans, everyone.
"I don't think it's a very good idea to go back there, it would be very complicated. Mentally I don't think I would feel great to play there.
"I had a lot of problems with the media and in the end I felt the people started to feel the same way too. Either way, I wouldn't have too many people supporting me.
"It's a risk to go there, you never know what can happen.
"If something went wrong mentally I would not feel good after that."
Dokic, who was born in Yugoslavia, moved with her family to Australia in 1994.
The family endured a rocky relationship with the Australian public primarily because of her father Damir's repeated run-ins with authorities and returned to Belgrade taking out Yugoslav passports in November 2000.
Banned from attending his daughter's matches for several months after repeated clashes with tennis officials, Damir's relationship with the Australian public was strained to breaking point after he claimed the draw for the 2001 Australian Open had been rigged against his daughter. Dokic was drawn to play then world number two Lindsay Davenport in the first round.
Dokic also warned Australians that they were in danger of alienating Lleyton Hewitt because of the pressure placed on the men's world number one.
"I think he has trouble playing there," said Dokic. "I think his worst results have been there. They give a lot of pressure to players. I'm sure it's tough for him.
"They have no reason to blame him as much as they do and I had even more problems than that."
