Jelena Dokic is not worried by newspaper reports alleging her estranged father Damir is planning to kidnap her.
Serb newspaper Kurir reported that Damir had said he wanted to kidnap his daughter and kill an Australian as revenge for her decision to return to the country.
He was also quoted
as saying he had thought about dropping a nuclear bomb on Sydney and had sought help from Serbian politicians to help him with the kidnapping.
Damir yesterday denied making the comments when contacted by a Melbourne radio station.
The tennis player, however, still issued a statement in Melbourne yesterday saying she was aware of the reports and her father's denial.
She said her father had publicly threatened her before but that she hadn't spoken to him for years.
"This has proven to be yet another unfortunate distraction around my return to Australia and competitive tennis. I have spent my life recovering from events such as this," she said. "I have not spoken to my father for a number of years and we do not agree on anything.
"This is not the first time he has made threats publicly to my wellbeing so I am not going to allow this latest episode to disrupt my future happiness and I wish to distance myself totally from his reported views."
The WTA, the governing body of women's tennis, said it was concerned about the remarks and would do all it could to support Dokic's comeback.
Dokic began her career playing for Australia but changed countries for Serbia in 2001 after her father claimed the Australian Open draw was rigged and the family packed up and left the country.
Damir Dokic is no stranger to controversy.
In 1999 the former truck driver was cited for drunk and disorderly conduct after an incident at a tournament in England, where he lay down in the middle of the road after being ejected from the event.
The following year, he was thrown out of Wimbledon after he stamped on a journalist's mobile phone, and was then banned from the US Open for an outburst over the price of salmon in a restaurant.
Jelena Dokic left home about two years ago, living in Europe, but recently announced she was coming back to Australia, saying she had never wanted to leave in the first place.
"I have been overwhelmed by the support and friendship I have been shown by the Australian public since I returned," she said.
"I will continue to work very hard on getting back to the top of my game and putting comments like these firmly behind me."
Dokic was beaten in the first round of the Australian Open on Monday by Virginie Razzano of France.
- REUTERS
Damir Dokic
Jelena Dokic is not worried by newspaper reports alleging her estranged father Damir is planning to kidnap her.
Serb newspaper Kurir reported that Damir had said he wanted to kidnap his daughter and kill an Australian as revenge for her decision to return to the country.
He was also quoted
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.