"You should be ashamed" - After Iga Swiatek interview, furious Jelena Dokic issues strongly worded message slamming media's controversial headlines

Jelena Dokic was appalled at the media's creation of false narratives with their controversial headlines about a light-hearted moment with Iga Swiatek at the 2025 Australian Open. Dokic has been regularly conducting on-court interviews for the past few years.

Dokic had a conversation with Swiatek after her second-round victory, where she asked the Pole about the place in Australia with the best coffee. The Pole, a coffee aficionado, chose Sydney in front of the Melbourne crowd leading to a sea of boos. However, she later apologized to the crowd and stated that she did not research enough to reach a verdict.

Swiatek clarified at the end that it was 'hard' to get the wrong coffee in Australia. Dokic quipped that the 23-year-old saved a 'match point' with her response in front of the Melbourne crowd. Later, home favorite Alex de Minaur was asked the same question but he responded with how Australia had the best coffee.

After reading some of the media articles creating 'false' headlines, Jelena Dokic lashed out with a strongly worded message on Instagram. She also attached images of some of such headlines.

One of the articles called Dokic's humorous moment with Swiatek "awkward." Dokic was disappointed by how the media continued to be unkind.

"Media and journalism, some of you should be ashamed of yourselves. Has the media learnt nothing? Has the media not learnt to be kind and report things the way they actually happened? Can’t the media just be positive and be nice to people, athletes and tennis players in this example," Dokic wrote.

"What has happened the last 5 days at the Australian Open when it comes to reporting stories is horrendous. So many moments have been turned into negative and inaccurate articles. Some journalists have created false and sensational headlines this tournament and should be ashamed of themselves."

The 41-year-old talked about the negative effects of the media's false narratives on people. She also discussed how she had borne the brunt of the media's scathing attacks in the past. Dokic's tumultuous relationship with her father has often been a topic in the media.

"Have you not learnt anything from all the negative headlines and by not being kind and how it has affected many people including so many tennis players and myself as a teenager?"

Dokic complained that the media made a 'funny' Iga Swiatek moment sound 'awful'. She said that false narratives have been a trend in the media since the 2025 Australian Open's commencement and demanded to 'write something nice for a change'.

"You have turned a funny moment with a 5 time Grand Slam champion and world number 2 Iga Swiatek into a sensational and false headline and she couldn’t be a nicer person. You are calling funny moments ‘awkward’ and you have made the world number two sound ‘awful’ and like she should be hated because she made a joke about Melbourne coffee. Shame on you.

"Funny interview is not an awkward interview. I have watched others and not just me and players have to go through this in the last 5 days. Time to stop. Chill, try writing something nice for a change."

"Shame on some of you" - Jelena Dokic calls media as the reason for players wanting to avoid interviews

Jelena Dokic - Source: Getty

Continuing her thoughts, in the Instagram post, Jelena Dokic claimed that because of such media coverage, players avoid giving interviews.

"And in case players are not happy doing interviews and media and are very guarded in on court interviews and press conferences, don’t ask yourselves why. You and your negative and false reporting is why. Shame on you all that have turned things around or turned something into a headline that wasn’t even there to begin with," Dokic said.

Dokic also recalled some of the outrageous and hateful comments she had been subjected to early in her life.

"But I guess considering that 20 years ago you were writing that I, as a 16 year old was sleeping in a brothel, a name for a 3 star hotel, because that’s all I could afford I guess this isn’t so bad. Right? NO. Shame on some of you!!"

Jelena Dokic burst onto the scene at Wimbledon in 1999, making it to the quarterfinals. However, she was subjected to physical and emotional abuse by her father, which led to her contemplating suicide at one point. Today, she publicly talks about the violence she received and also aids domestic abuse victims.