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JELENA Dokic has joined the Mouratoglou tennis academy in Paris, only weeks before a career-defining Australian Open tilt.

Dokic, 26, and her coach Borna Bikic have agreed to terms with the academy, which employs leading Australian coaches Tony Roche and Peter McNamara.

Dokic is defending 500 ranking points at Melbourne Park from January 18-31 after her run to last season's Australian Open quarter-finals.

If the former world No. 4 is unable to defend those points, she could fall from her ranking of 56 out of the top 100.

The baseliner resurrected her career at the Open when, as a wildcard, she stormed into the last eight. Dokic was finally defeated by world No. 1 and top seed Dinara Safina

JELENA Dokic has returned to Melbourne Park, scene of last January's epic Australian Open surge, eager for more success.

Dokic, 26, practised in virtual solitude yesterday at the national tennis centre in the shadows of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG.

The baseliner will next month attempt to replicate the career-saving glories of January 2009.

Dokic stormed into the Australian Open quarter-finals as the world No.187 on the back of a wildcard.

Since then injuries and a bout of glandular fever have threatened to derail her comeback -- Dokic failed to win a round at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open.

After flying into Melbourne at 11pm Christmas night, Dokic said that despite feeling fit and healthy again, she was not feeling the pressure to repeat her Australian Open heroics.

"I'm not seeded, so it's not like people can expect me to play semis or finals," Dokic said after her workout with coach Borna Bikic and boyfriend Tin Bikic.

"I think there's more expectation on (world No.13) Sam (Stosur) than me. But, still, I did very well here last year and that got my career back on track and got everything together again."

Dokic, now ranked 56, said a tough end-of-season training program had given her renewed confidence.

"We tried to do as much as we could in the off-season and tried to get everything, health-wise, in order, so that I can hopefully have a full season this year," she said.

"I feel good. We did a lot of training and everything was fine. We got the glandular fever under control. But I had to rest (first) obviously."

Dokic, who will compete in Brisbane and Hobart before the Australian Open, said the Australian summer was usually a good omen for the rest of the year.

"I love this place. I was coming here even when things were not so good, when I was not even ranked . . . and I have a lot of good memories here," Dokic said.

"Always if I can get some good matches in Australia, it's always good for the rest of the season."

Dokic's dream run at the Australian Open began with a first-round win over Austrian Tamira Paszek -- her first grand slam win since 2003.

That was only the start.

Dokic then dumped 17th seed Anna Chakvetadze, 11th seed Caroline Wozniacki and 29th seed Alisa Kleybanova out of the tournament.

Her run was stalled when she lost her quarter-final in three sets to world No.3 Dinara Safina, trimming her ranking to 91st and reviving a stalled career.

Dokic's return to Australia comes as her father, Damir, serves a 15-month jail term for threatening to blow up the Australian ambassador to Serbia.