A shock breakup
Dokic and Bikic were together for 19 years, and had planned to have children of their own. However, their relationship ended abruptly in December 2021, when Bikic called Dokic from Serbia and told her they were done. Dokic said the breakup was a shock and a struggle for her, but she has since moved on and found peace with the situation.
“I’m in a great place now and again I think, like a lot of my experiences in my life, getting help has really helped with that. It’s the first time ever I’ve had to deal with that situation. It will stay with me forever, it’s such a big part of my life,” she told Woman’s Day.
She added that she still believes in love and respects Bikic, but she is not ready to date anyone at the moment. “I do believe in love but I don’t think I’m ready for that just yet,” she said.
A dream to adopt
Dokic said she loves children and wants to be a mother someday, but she is not interested in having biological children. Instead, she wants to adopt a child who needs a loving and stable home. She said she has thought long and hard about this decision, and she is confident that she can provide a good life for an adopted child, even as a single parent.
“It’s something I’ve thought long and hard about, and maybe that situation or kids will not happen for me and that’s OK. I’ve kind of, to be honest, made peace with that,” she said.
“But also for me if I do have kids – and I do actually want to have kids because I love kids – I’m going to go the adoption route. I’ve always wanted to do that, regardless of whether I have my own kids.”
She said she hopes to adopt a child in the next three to five years, and she is open to adopting from any country or background.
A traumatic past
Dokic’s desire to adopt a child may stem from her own traumatic childhood, which she detailed in her first memoir Unbreakable. She revealed that she suffered years of physical and emotional abuse from her father Damir Dokic, who was also her tennis coach. She said he forced her to sign over millions of dollars when she was 19 years old, leaving her broke and homeless.
She escaped from her father’s control with the help of Bikic, who supported her through her recovery. She also sought professional help to deal with her eating disorder, which she said was caused by the trauma she endured.
She has since rebuilt her fortune and career as a tennis coach and commentator, and has written a second memoir called Fearless: Finding The Power To Thrive. She said writing the books was a therapeutic process for her, and she hopes to inspire others who are going through similar challenges.
“I find the eating disorder quite complex,” she told Stellar. “I’m working really hard on it.”
