‘Small steps’: Jelena Dokic provides update on recovery after suicide attempt

Australian tennis favourite Jelena Dokic has offered a positive update on her mental health recovery in the wake of her raw open letter earlier this month.

The 39-year-old said she almost took her own life in April and had since received professional help.

In a new video published on Tuesday night, which you can watch in the video above, Dokic said well wishes from the public had provided an added layer of support.

“I just wanted to do a quick video to say a huge thank you to all of you for your incredible kindness, support and love after my last Instagram post,” Dokic said.

“To get more than 20,000 messages and emails and comments and phone calls is just unbelievable and I’ll be forever grateful.

“You guys are just helping me so much. There are not enough words to describe how grateful and thankful I am, so thank you.”

Dokic reiterated that she was now in a stronger position than she was in April.

“There’s been a lot of concern since my last post, but I just want to let you all know that I’m doing ok,” she said.

“I’m doing a lot better than I was in April, I’m getting all the help that I need and I’m taking it a day at a time on the road to recovery.

“I’m taking small steps forward every single day and I’ll be back better than ever and stronger than ever.”

Dokic’s initial message offered a deep insight into the troubling months after the breakdown of a long-term relationship.

“That was not something that was easy for me to do but I’ve always been open and honest and vulnerable with you all, especially in the last few years,’’ she said on Tuesday.

“So I felt like it was important to do that this time around as well because there are a lot of people that are struggling out there when it comes to mental health and we need to have more conversations about it and we need to destigmatise the conversations around mental health.

“That’s why I feel like it was incredibly important to talk about it, to talk about my experience and my struggles and hopefully it can help someone out there in their own struggles and hopefully help someone out there as a message of hope and knowing you’re not alone.

“That’s also ultimately what it is as well, it’s a message of hope.

“There is hope, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. If you feel like giving up, please don’t, please keep believing, please keep fighting, please go a day at a time and please know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

Dokic has become one of Australia’s most popular TV identities since re-emerging on the scene in the years after retiring from tennis.

She debuted as a teenager and famously upset then world No.1 Martina Hingis at Wimbledon in 1999, but her life and career were beset by troubles with her father and coach, Damir.

Dokic laid low in retirement before publishing an autobiography, which went in depth about her father’s behaviour, and taking up roles as a commentator.