Jelena Dokic’s stunning second with Aryna Sabalenka has wowed tennis followers all over the world — however there are some strategies there’s a darkish reality behind it.

The Aussie tennis hero on Thursday evening stole the present with a cultured post-match interview with the Belarusian after the No. 2 seed powered through to the women’s final with a win over American Coco Gauff.

The defending champion is the new favorite to go back-to-back when she faces twelfth seed Qinwen Zheng on Saturday, having reached the ultimate with out dropping a set.

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Sabalenka had already gained the group over, however the loudest cheer got here when Dokic made a second uncommon request.

Dokic on Tuesday requested Sabalenka for a towel in a light-hearted second that highlighted how simple it has seemed for Sabalenka to blow away all her opponents at Melbourne Park.

“This might be a weird question, last one,” Dokic mentioned.

“You’re winning so easy, you’re barely sweating … I see you’re taking these towels every match, you’ve got at least one more match … so now in front of 15,000 people you need to give me a towel because you’ve got too many.”

Sabalenka fortunately handed over one of many spare items of Australian Open merchandise.

Dokic adopted it up on Thursday evening by asking for one more towel — that got here with a cultured clarification.

“After your last match … you gave me a towel; they are very precious, everyone wants one, and I said, ‘You are winning so much, you probably have about 20 in your hotel room, so you can give me one — which you were so kind enough to give me’,” Dokic mentioned.

“I’ll take another one, by the way. But what I want to get you to do, if you’re OK with it — can you sign it, because then we will auction it off for kids and women affected by domestic violence, is that OK?”

Sabalenka kindly signed each towels whereas the group erupted in applause.

The 39-year-old former world No. 4 has bravely shared her journey of ongoing restoration from home abuse, despair, on-line abuse and physique shaming — inspiring numerous followers across the globe.

Dokic revealed the horrific abuse she suffered at the hands of her father throughout her tennis profession in her e-book Unbreakable.

She revealed she suffered common beatings with a belt or a hard-capped boot, together with one incident which noticed her knocked unconscious.

It’s why she instructed viewers on Channel 9 earlier this week about her plan to have Sabalenka signal the towels for charity functions.

Her marketing campaign has obtained no official public assist from tennis organisations, together with Tennis Australia and the Australian Open.

Her transfer comes at a troublesome time for the game with Alexander Zverev transferring by way of to the semi-finals of the lads’s draw following information on the eve of the event that he’ll face trial in Germany over allegations of home abuse.

Zverev has repeatedly denied the allegations.

In a long-running saga the place the ATP Tour has been criticised over the restricted scope of its personal 15-month investigation into accusations made in opposition to Zverev, the No. 6 seed has been ordered to face trial, starting from May 31.

Zverev last year contested a decision from a Berlin court that ordered him to pay a $750,000 wonderful for allegedly assaulting a lady in May, 2020.

Zverev’s attorneys rejected the accusations in an announcement, naming the lady as Brenda Patea, the tennis participant’s ex-girlfriend.

The mannequin in 2021 gave start to a daughter Mayla. She mentioned Zverev is the daddy of the kid. The pair had already cut up when Patea introduced she was 20 weeks pregnant.

Zverev has additionally strenuously denied claims he violently abused ex-partner and tennis player Olga Sharypova.

It’s why Zverev’s potential run by way of to the ultimate of the Aussie Open can be a catastrophe for the event and for TV broadcasters all over the world— whereas the accusation earlier than the German courtroom stays unheard.

The Australian Open’s official social media channels have been restricted within the variety of mentions it has given Zverev, whereas Channel 9’s light-hearted on-court interview’s with Zverev have made some followers uncomfortable.

After Dokic’s stylish second on Thursday evening, many recommended her act was akin to the state of affairs surrounding Zverev — who faces Daniil Medvedev in Friday evening’s semi-final.

Sport reporter Molly McElwee from The Times within the UK known as Dokic’s act an “important” second that can be remembered for a very long time.

She additionally linked Dokic’s act with Zverev’s state of affairs.

“This is really powerful on a couple of levels,” she mentioned in a video posted on Twitter.

“One, because Dokic herself has already spoken about how she is a survivor of domestic abuse – abuse that she suffered from her father when she was a child and a player on tour.

“It’s also really important that in the context of this tournament Alexander Zverev has gone on a run through to the semi-finals, one of his best run at a major ever. But at the same time last week news broke in May he will be facing a public trial in Germany and facing domestic abuse allegations.

“It’s really interesting that Dokic, of her own initiative and independent of the organisations and organisers of the tournament to shine a light on domestic violence when one of the biggest stars in the sport is actually facing allegations of domestic violence at the moment.”

Other tennis followers have described it as a “middle finger” for tennis officers.

Sabalenka, in the meantime, is trying to turn out to be the primary participant to go back-to-back on the AO since Victoria Azarenka in 2012 and 2013.