Former Australian tennis champion Jelena Dokic said she would suffer “100 years of abuse” from her father if it allowed her to reverse her decision to turn her back on the game for Australia.

The 41-year-old former world number 4 was born in what was then Yugoslavia and her family moved to Australia when she was 11.

Her tennis career peaked when she reached the quarterfinals of Wimbledon in 1999 and the semifinals in 2000, followed by the quarterfinals of the French Open in 2002.

Dokic represented Australia early in her career, but announced in 2001 that she was turning her back on her new country and would represent Yugoslavia instead.

She says her father was behind the controversial decision and she wishes it had never happened.

“I would take 100 years of abuse if I could take back not playing for Australia for a few years,” she told the Carrie and Tommy radio show.

“He took away something I loved so much.

“He took that away from me at that point. He’s sitting in a hotel room watching this while I’m getting booed by 15,000 people. I just wanted to sink into the ground, disappear and never come back.

Jelena Dokic says she would suffer ‘100 years of abuse’ from her father (pictured with mother Ljiljana) to overturn her decision to play for Yugoslavia instead of Australia

Dokic, who turned his back on Australia in 2001, blamed his father for his lost dream of playing for his country.

“I would take any abuse, anything in this world, not even to suffer this personally, but it didn’t take my people, the Australians and my fans and everyone who has always encouraged me, that it didn’t take 10 or 15 years before my book came out for them to know the truth and how much I really love Australia.

With the tell-all feature film Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story set to hit theaters this month, Jelena also admitted that while she doesn’t forgive her father, she doesn’t “hate” him.

“I don’t blame anyone. I don’t blame anyone. I definitely don’t hate anyone, I never would,” Jelena told Daily Telegraph.

“I’m not bitter about it.

— Even towards my father, which surprises people. But I don’t hate him. I don’t necessarily forgive him, but I don’t hate him.

In a trailer for Unbreakable, Jelena recalls how she felt pressure to win as her father Damir regularly beat her up.

“I’m 16 here. I was playing number 1, Martina Hingis, and I knew that if I lost the consequences would be catastrophic,” she says in the trailer while watching footage of herself playing.

The teenage prodigy’s tennis career peaked when she reached the quarter-finals of Wimbledon in 1999 and the semi-finals in 2000, followed by the quarter-finals of the French Open in 2002.

Dokic claimed her father physically and emotionally abused her starting when she was six years old.

“One day after my defeat, I knew what was going to happen… I started to feel really broken inside.

“There wasn’t an inch of skin that wasn’t bruised. I am 17 years old and thanks to his actions, (I) became the most hated person.

Her autobiography of the same name was published in 2017 and Jelena details the heartbreaking physical and emotional abuse she suffered at the hands of her father Damir during her playing career.

Jelena told The Telegraph she felt an “incredible freedom” after telling her story in the book and now the feature film.

“It gave me a voice. It gave me the power to take back control of my life. I have never been happier,” she said.

“I haven’t been silenced for the very first time in my life. And that brings incredible freedom.

During her appearance on Jess Rowe’s Big Talk Show in May, Jelena spoke about her book and reiterated that she didn’t hate her abusive father.

“After reading your story, I hate your father,” Jess told Jelena, expressing surprise that the former athlete didn’t share the same feelings.

Dokic says she doesn’t blame her father Demir for the abuse she suffered as a young player

‘No. I don’t want to come from this place. I don’t hate anyone. Hate is a very strong word, but I can understand you and people using it,” Jelena responded.

“For some reason the universe gave me this as my childhood and my life and I have to accept the circumstances…I don’t have to hate it, but I don’t forgive it.”

Despite years of abuse, Jelena revealed earlier this year why she tried to reconcile with her father during their last contact ten years ago.

“The last time I had contact with him was about 10 years ago. And yes, I even tried to reconcile with him once or twice,” she told the Sydney Morning Herald in January.

“I think no matter what happens, you kind of hope you can salvage a relationship as far as family goes.”