TENNIS: Father Doesn't Know Best In Dokic's Case

The old saying is that "father knows best." When it comes to this case, the saying is "father, go home."

Jelena Dokic, a 17-year-old tennis player, has the talent to be among the top ten in the world. She's already reached the Wimbledon quarterfinals.

Unfortunately, just like Mary Pierce at the start of her career and a number of other players, her talent is overshadowed by a domineering father, Damir Dokic.
It's clear that father knows one thing; how to get thrown out of tournaments.

Damir Dokic was removed from the U.S. Open on Wednesday by security, screaming and cursing the entire way. The situation was similar to Wimbledon earlier this year, when Dokic cursed out reporters and showed inconsistent and bizarre behavior.

The episode began when Dokic, eating lunch in the player's lounge, complained over being charged $10 for a piece of salmon, creating enough of a commotion to attract security. Later on, Dokic was escorted from the lounge as he shouted "Idiots!" at USTA officials.

The Women's Tennis Association would like to say that this is an isolated episode, that tennis parents don't usually act this way. But there are a number of parents who, frankly, although the WTA would not admit, they would love to live without.

Parents coaching their children has been one of the most debated topics on the women's tour for years. It wasn't this way in the 1980s, where Chris Evert was taught by her father, but never in a domineering way; in fact, Evert's parents forbid her to become a professional until she graduated high school.

High school is a foreign experience for many players now. Tennis, in particular, is an isolated event; you're one-on-one, with everybody watching you, no one to help you. In many cases, the pressure can be excruciating. In many cases, the pressure is exacerberated with domineering parents on the sidelines.

There are exceptions. Aside from one spat last summer, Martina Hingis and her mother get along well and have a seemingly good relationship, partially because her mom, Melanie Moliter, has sufficient coaching credential as a former pro.

Richard Williams, despite his idiosyncrasies, has raised two children to excel in the game. Serena and Venus Williams are clearly the stars of the tour now, being adopted by whatever city the tour is in as their own.

Then there's the other side of tennis parents, ones like Jim Pierce and Stefano Capriati, even including Samantha Stevenson. It took years for Mary Pierce to recognize her potential; it's not coincidence it happened after she booted her father out of her life.

Jim Pierce controlled his daughter with equal parts intimidation and control. Mary Pierce admitted that there were times in which she was abused by her father, who was found to be psychologically unstable. After saying goodbye to her father, Pierce loosened up, has had fun playing tennis, won two Grand Slams in the past few years, gotten engaged to Roberto Alomar and looks to enjoy life.

She's taken the path less traveled. Pierce has done something that Jennifer Capriati and Alexandra Stevenson have not done; tell their parents to stay out of their careers.

Capriati started this year with a semifinal appearance in the Australian Open, then fired coach Harold Soloman and re-hired her dad for the umpteenth time. Since then, Capriati has not come close to winning a tournament, regressed in her progress back up the rankings and regressed in her fitness and conditioning.

Stevenson reached Wimbledon's semifinals last year, turned pro, and has been, frankly, a bust since then, with a record far under .500. Instead of talking about her tennis, we still talk about Stevenson's father, or her mother.

Not saying that their parents don't care for the children, but after a tough match, what's a player to think? Is their parents consoling them as a parent, or as a coach? In practice, are they being yelled at by their father/mother, or their coach? The line is too blurry on several accounts. In Capriati's case, the results are clearly better when her father's not coaching her.

A 17-year-old who doesn't attend school, lives on her father's whims, and it emotionally attached to her father like no other. That could be a reasonable conclusion on Jelena Dokic, who plays in the second round on Thursday and was seen crying as her father was thrown out of the U.S. Open.

It's the type of scene that occurs too often when a parent coaches and controls a child like Damir Dokic does his daughter. The only hope now is that Jelena Dokic goes on to enjoy success at the U.S. Open, without her father's presence, and realizes one great truth; right now, she's better off without him.