Jelena Dokic fought back tears as she accepted her first ever Logie Award at The Star in Sydney on Sunday night.
The former tennis champion, 42, received the honour for Best Factual or Documentary Program for her documentary Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story.
She admitted she was in complete shock over the win, confessing she hadn’t prepared a speech and had planned to simply ‘wing it’ if her name was called.
‘Ooh! I know you said 30 seconds but I will need at least 30 to gather myself,’ she began, her voice trembling.
‘I’m actually in shock. I didn’t think this was possible and I didn’t have a speech prepared.’
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Jelena Dokic, 42, fought back tears as she accepted her first ever Logie Award at The Star in Sydney on Sunday night
‘I said to my Channel Nine team and Todd that we will wing it… I underestimated this one,’ she continued.
In a heartfelt address, Dokic thanked the production team, Roadshow, In Films and her close collaborators Ivan, Manny and Jessica, crediting them for believing in her story when she initially doubted it would ever make it to air.
‘You made this happen. We would not even have sat down at the table to talk about this possibility if it wasn’t for you,’ she said.
‘I can’t thank you enough for believing in me and bringing this story to screen because I certainly didn’t when we sat down. I said to all of you, “You really think this is possible?” Thank you for doing that.’
Dokic also paid tribute to Channel Nine for not only backing the documentary but for standing by her side since she joined the network.
‘To Brent and Ben, you took a chance with me on everything seven years ago and really believed in me—not just with the documentary but everything I do. I thank you from the bottom of my heart. You always have my back,’ she said.
But Dokic’s most powerful moment came when she dedicated the win to survivors of domestic violence and those battling mental health challenges.
‘This is not about winning,’ she said. ‘This is a win for victims and survivors, especially of domestic violence and mental health.’
The former tennis champion received the honour for Best Factual or Documentary Program for her documentary Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story
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‘To not just have those stories heard but for them to reclaim their life, to find their voice and not just survive but to thrive. To do what we need to actually be able to talk about it,’ she continued.
In an inspiring message to young women, she urged: ‘Never allow anyone to take your worth or happiness or smile away. Believe in your goals and dreams. I am standing here as someone who literally had that dream. I believed in it. I didn’t give up on it. If I can do it, you can do it too.’
Finally, she became visibly emotional as she thanked her close friend and mentor Todd Woodbridge, crediting him with helping her find her voice after retiring from professional tennis.
‘You’re my person,’ she said through tears.
‘When I retired 11 years ago, you told me I could be a commentator and speaker and bring my story to life. I looked at you and said, “I don’t know who you’re talking about, but you’re not talking about me.”
‘I was a person who couldn’t string two sentences together and had no social skills. You believed in me professionally. I hope everyone finds a Todd like I did.’
Woodbridge beamed from the audience as Dokic concluded: ‘You’re a massive reason why I’m standing here in every single way.
‘If everyone can have a father and mentor like Todd, they would be very fortunate. Thank you, thank you everyone.’
She admitted she was in complete shock over the win, confessing she hadn’t prepared a speech and had planned to simply ‘wing it’ if her name was called