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Jelena Janković
Singles

Native name	Јелена Јанковић Jelena Janković
Country (sports)	Yugoslavia (2000–2003) Serbia and Montenegro (2003–2006) Serbia (2006–2022)
Residence	Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Born	(1985-02-28) 28 February 1985 (age 40) Belgrade, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia
Height	1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)
Turned pro	2000
Retired	2022
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Prize money	US$ 19,089,259 26th in all-time rankings
Career record	644–370 (63.51%)
Career titles	15
Highest ranking	No. 1 (11 August 2008)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	SF (2008)
French Open	SF (2007, 2008, 2010)
Wimbledon	4R (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2015)
US Open	F (2008)
Other tournaments
Tour Finals	SF (2008, 2009, 2013)
Olympic Games	QF (2008)
Doubles
Career record	109–134 (44.86%)
Career titles	2
Highest ranking	No. 19 (9 June 2014)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	3R (2008, 2013)
French Open	3R (2013, 2014)
Wimbledon	QF (2013)
US Open	3R (2006, 2013, 2014, 2015)
Other doubles tournaments
Olympic Games	1R (2016)
Mixed doubles
Career titles	1
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	2R (2007, 2012)
French Open	2R (2013, 2016)
Wimbledon	W (2007)
US Open	1R (2005)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	F (2012), record 34–16
Hopman Cup	F (2008)

Jelena Janković is a famous tennis player from Serbia. She was once ranked the world No. 1 in women's tennis. Jelena reached this top spot before playing her best Grand Slam final at the 2008 US Open. She won 15 singles titles and two doubles titles on the WTA Tour. A big highlight of her career was winning the 2007 Wimbledon mixed-doubles title with her partner Jamie Murray.

Jelena Janković's Tennis Journey

Early Life and Start in Tennis

Jelena Janković was born in Belgrade, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Her parents, Veselin and Snežana, were both economists. She has two brothers, Marko and Stefan. Jelena started learning tennis at the 'Red Star' Tennis Club.

Her older brother, Marko, who was also her fitness coach, introduced her to tennis when she was about 9 and a half years old. She later trained at the famous Tennis Academy of Nick Bollettieri. As a junior player, she won the 2001 Australian Open and became the junior world No. 1. In 2001, she began playing on the main WTA Tour. She reached the second round in her very first tournament at the Indian Wells Open.

Becoming World No. 1

Jelena was ranked world No. 1 for 17 weeks in a row. Serena Williams then took over the top spot on February 2, 2009. Jelena finished 2008 as the year-end world No. 1. She was the first player in the history of the WTA Tour to achieve this without winning a Grand Slam title.

Janković reached the singles final of the US Open. She also made it to the singles semifinals of the Australian Open and the French Open. In 2007, she made history as the first Serbian female player to win a Grand Slam title. This was when she won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with her British partner Jamie Murray.

Rising Success: 2004–2006

In October 2003, Jelena entered the top 100 players, reaching No. 90. This happened after she won her first ITF title in Dubai. A few months later, she got her first win against a top-10 player, Elena Dementieva, at the 2004 Australian Open. In May, Jelena won her first WTA title in Budapest. She beat Martina Suchá in the final. After this win, her ranking went up to No. 51. By the end of 2004, she was ranked No. 28 in the world.

In March 2005, at the Dubai tournament, she reached the final. She lost to Lindsay Davenport in a close match. She also reached her first major semifinal in Berlin. In June, she played in her first grass-court final in Birmingham. She lost to Maria Sharapova. By October, she reached her third final of the year in Seoul. Her ranking reached a new high of No. 17. She finished 2005 ranked No. 22.

Jelena had a tough start to 2006. She lost in the second round of the Australian Open. This was the start of ten straight losses. She didn't win a match from late January to early May. She later said this made her think about quitting tennis. She broke her losing streak by beating Elena Likhovtseva at the Italian Open in Rome. At the French Open, she reached the third round for the first time.

Jelena Janković at 2006 Wimbledon Championships

At Wimbledon, Jelena surprised everyone by beating the defending champion, Venus Williams, in the third round. This was her first time reaching the fourth round of a Grand Slam event. In August, she reached her fifth career final in Los Angeles. She beat Serena Williams in the semifinals. At the US Open, Jelena beat several top players. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. In the semifinals, she lost to Justine Henin in three sets. Jelena finished 2006 with a career-high ranking of world No. 12.

2007: Reaching World No. 3

Janković at the 2007 Dubai Tennis Championships.

Jelena started 2007 by winning her second career title at the ASB Classic in Auckland. The next week, at the Sydney International, she beat former No. 1 Martina Hingis and top-seeded Amélie Mauresmo. She lost in the final to Kim Clijsters. Her strong start meant her ranking rose to world No. 10, her first time in the top 10.

Jelena did well in the clay-court season. She won her first major title at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston. She beat Dinara Safina in the final. She then won her second major title at the Italian Open, defeating Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. These wins helped her enter the top 5 in the world rankings. Jelena was the fourth seed at the French Open. She reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the second time, but lost to Justine Henin. This improved her ranking to a new career-high of world No. 3.

Janković practicing at the 2007 US Open

On grass, Jelena won the Birmingham Classic title. She beat top-seeded Maria Sharapova in the final. The next week, she reached another final in the Netherlands. She became the first player since Chris Evert in 1974 to win 50 matches in the first half of a year. At Wimbledon, she lost in the fourth round. However, in mixed doubles, she teamed with Jamie Murray to win the title.

Jelena's performance slowed down after the US Open. She lost in the final of the China Open in Beijing to Ágnes Szávay. She finished 2007 ranked world No. 3. She had won 72 matches that year, a record for the WTA. Jelena had nose surgery after the season to help with breathing. The Olympic Committee of Serbia named her the sportswoman of the year.

2008: World No. 1 and First Grand Slam Final

Janković at the 2008 WTA Tour Championships

Jelena reached the semifinals of the Australian Open. She lost to Maria Sharapova, who went on to win the tournament. In March, she reached her first final of the year at the Miami Open. She lost to Serena Williams in three sets.

Jelena successfully defended her title in Rome. She beat Venus Williams in the quarterfinals and Alizé Cornet in the final. This was her first singles title of 2008. She was one of the favorites for the French Open. She lost to fellow Serbian player Ana Ivanovic in the semifinals. She would have become world No. 1 if she had reached the final. However, she did reach a new career-high of world No. 2.

At Wimbledon, Jelena hurt her knee. She lost in the fourth round. She finally became the world No. 1 on August 11, 2008. She was the 18th woman to be ranked world No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association. She was also the first woman to reach No. 1 without ever reaching a Grand Slam final.

Jelena's time as world No. 1 lasted only one week. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics. This meant Ana Ivanovic became world No. 1 again. Jelena was the second seed at the US Open. She reached her first Grand Slam final by beating Elena Dementieva. In the final, she lost to Serena Williams. If she had won, she would have become world No. 1 again.

Jelena did become world No. 1 again later that year. She won three tournaments in a row. She won the China Open in Beijing. Then she won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Finally, she won the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. This was the first time a WTA player had won three titles in three weeks since 2005.

As the top seed at the year-end 2008 WTA Tour Championships in Doha, Jelena won two of her three group matches. She beat Ana Ivanovic for only the second time in her career. She lost in the semifinals to Venus Williams. Jelena finished the year as world No. 1. The ITF named her the World Champion for 2008. She won four titles that season, the most of anyone on tour. The Olympic Committee of Serbia named her the best sportswoman for the second year in a row.

2009–2010: Staying in the Top Ten

Jelena was the top seed at the Australian Open in Melbourne. She lost in the fourth round to Marion Bartoli. She then lost her world No. 1 ranking to Serena Williams. Her next event was in Paris. She reached the semifinals but lost to Amélie Mauresmo.

Jelena had some tough losses early in 2009. She called one match "the worst match of my career." She admitted she was struggling with her confidence. She then won her first title of 2009 at the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella.

Janković at the 2009 US Open

Jelena helped the Serbian team reach the World Group for the first time in the Fed Cup. She was the defending champion at tournaments in Stuttgart and Rome, but lost in the quarterfinals. At the French Open, she lost in the fourth round. At Wimbledon, she lost in the third round.

At the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Jelena won her second title of the year. She beat the world No. 1, Dinara Safina, in the final. This win brought her ranking back to world No. 4. However, at the US Open, she lost in the second round. Her ranking dropped to world No. 8.

At the Pan Pacific Open, she reached the final but had to stop playing due to an arm injury. At the WTA Tour Championships, she reached the semifinals. She lost to Venus Williams. She finished 2009 ranked No. 8.

Janković at the 2010 Porsche Grand Prix

At the Australian Open, Jelena lost in the third round. She then played for Serbia in the 2010 Fed Cup. She won her singles matches. At the Indian Wells Open, she won her 12th career title. She beat Caroline Wozniacki in the final. Her winning streak ended at the Miami Open.

At the Italian Open, she beat Venus Williams easily. She then beat the reigning world No. 1, Serena Williams, in the semifinals. She became one of the few women to defeat both Williams sisters in the same tournament. She was also the first player to beat both sisters in less than 24 hours. However, she lost in the final. Her ranking went up to world No. 4. At the French Open, she lost in the semifinals. Two weeks later, her ranking increased to world No. 3.

Jelena struggled with injuries at Wimbledon. She had to stop playing in the fourth round. Her ranking still increased to world No. 2. She had early losses at other tournaments. At the US Open, she lost in the third round. Her final event of the year was the Tour Championships. She lost all her matches.

On November 30, Jelena played a charity match in Belgrade. The money raised helped an elementary school damaged by an earthquake.

2011–2012: Challenges with Form

Jelena started 2011 with some early losses. She reached the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships. She also reached the semifinals of the Qatar Ladies Open. She then reached the final of the Monterrey Open, but lost. At the Indian Wells Open, she was the defending champion but lost in the fourth round.

Jelena Janković at the 2011 Rogers Cup.

Jelena played in the Fed Cup against Slovakia. She helped Serbia get back into World Group I. Her ranking dropped to No. 10, her lowest since early 2007. At the French Open, she lost in the fourth round. This caused her to drop out of the top 10 for the first time in years.

Jelena was the 15th seed at Wimbledon. She lost in the first round, her first opening-round exit at a Grand Slam since 2005. She reached the final of the Cincinnati Open, but lost to Maria Sharapova. She reached the third round at the US Open.

Jelena started 2012 with a quarterfinal loss in Brisbane. She lost in the second round of the Sydney International. At the Australian Open, she lost in the fourth round. She reached the semifinals in Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.

In the Fed Cup semifinals against Russia, Jelena won both her singles matches. She then had a tough period, losing many matches. She lost in the opening rounds of several tournaments. She lost in the second round of the French Open.

Jelena reached the final of the Aegon Classic in 2012. However, she lost in the first round of Wimbledon for the second year in a row. She also lost in the first round of the Olympic tennis tournament. She reached the final in Dallas and the third round of the US Open.

2013: A New Title and Back in the Top 10

Jelena Janković at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships.

At the Australian Open, Jelena lost in the third round to Ana Ivanovic. In February, she won her first title in three years in Bogotá. She beat Paula Ormaechea in the final. She reached the semifinals at Miami. This brought her back into the world's top 20.

Jelena then reached the final of the Family Circle Cup. She lost to Serena Williams. At the French Open, she reached the quarterfinals. She lost to Maria Sharapova. She also reached the semifinals at the Nürnberger Versicherungscup.

At Wimbledon, she lost in the second round of singles. However, she reached the quarterfinals in doubles. She also won her second career doubles title in Toronto with Katarina Srebotnik. This boosted her doubles ranking to a career high of No. 25. At the Western & Southern Open, Jelena reached the semifinals. She lost to Victoria Azarenka. This performance helped her become the 9th seed at the US Open. She reached the fourth round for the first time since 2008. As a result, Jelena was back in the top 10 singles rankings for the first time since June 2011.

Jelena continued to play well in Asia. She reached the final of the China Open in Beijing. This was her first final there since 2008. For the first time since 2009, she won more than 40 matches in a year. She became world No. 8. This strong run also meant she qualified for the year-end championships in Istanbul. She reached the semifinals there. Jelena finished 2013 in the top 10, at No. 8.

2014: Good Results and Back Injury

Janković at the 2014 Indian Wells Open.

Jelena started 2014 at the Brisbane International. She reached the semifinals, losing to Victoria Azarenka. This was her first semifinal at an Australian Open warm-up tournament since 2007. At the Australian Open, she reached the fourth round. She then reached the semifinals in Doha. In Dubai, she reached the quarterfinals.

At Indian Wells, she reached the quarterfinals. She had a surprising early loss in Miami. Her clay court season began in Charleston. She reached the quarterfinals. At the Bogotá tournament, she reached the finals but lost. At the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, she reached the semifinals. She lost to Ana Ivanovic. She did well at the Italian Open in Rome, reaching the semifinals. At Roland Garros, she reached the fourth round.

Jelena had a difficult grass court season, losing early at Eastbourne and Wimbledon. At the US Open, she reached the fourth round. She fell out of the top 10 after the US Open. She had to retire from a match in Wuhan due to a back problem. Her last tournament of the season was in Tianjin.

2015: 600th Win and New Titles

Janković at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships

Jelena started 2015 with early losses. She admitted she had thought about ending her career due to a back injury. She said she needed time to get back in form. She lost in the first round of the Australian Open.

She won her first match of 2015 in Dubai. She then had to stop playing in Doha due to a hip injury. Despite her tough start, Jelena reached the final at the Indian Wells Open. She beat several strong players. In the final, she faced Simona Halep. She won the first set and almost won the match, but lost. This result brought her back into the top 20.

Jelena had another early loss in Miami. In April, she reached the third round of the Family Circle Cup. She had to withdraw due to an injury. At the French Open, she lost in the first round for the second time in a row at a Grand Slam.

Janković at the 2015 French Open qualifiers

Jelena's grass court season began in 's-Hertogenbosch. She reached the semifinals. At Wimbledon, she caused a big upset. She beat the defending champion and world No. 2, Petra Kvitová, in the third round. This was her first time reaching the second week at Wimbledon since 2010.

After an early loss in Istanbul, Jelena won a WTA 125 title in Nanchang. She didn't lose a single set in the tournament. This win helped her have a successful Chinese hard court season. She reached an excellent semifinal in Cincinnati. She then had a surprising loss in the first round of the US Open.

Jelena had a great Asian tour. She won her 14th career title in Guangzhou. She saved a match point in the semifinals. She then won her 15th career title in Hong Kong. She beat Venus Williams in the semifinals. In the final, she came back from a set down to beat world No. 9 Angelique Kerber.

2016: Injuries and Loss of Form

Janković at the 2016 French Open

Janković at the 2016 US Open

Jelena started 2016 in Brisbane, but lost in the first round. At the Australian Open, she lost in the second round. In the Fed Cup tie against Spain, she lost both her matches.

At the Dubai Tennis Championships, she beat fifth seed Belinda Bencic. This was her first top-10 win of the season. She then had to withdraw from the Miami Open due to a right shoulder injury.

Her clay-court season also started with withdrawals and early losses. She lost in the first round of the Madrid Open. She also lost in the first round of the Italian Open and the French Open.

Jelena's grass-court season was also difficult. She lost early in Rosmalen. At the Mallorca Open, she reached the semifinal. At Wimbledon, she lost in the second round.

She continued to struggle with early losses in the summer. At the US Open, she lost in the second round. She reached the final of the Guangzhou International Open again, but lost. She finished 2016 ranked 54.

2017: Recovery and Lowest Ranking Since 2003

Jelena started 2017 with early losses in Shenzhen and Hobart. She played her best match of the year at the Australian Open. She reached the third round, losing a very long match to Svetlana Kuznetsova.

She then had to qualify for some tournaments. She lost in the first round of the Qatar Ladies Open and Dubai Championships. At Indian Wells, she had match points against Venus Williams but lost. Her ranking dropped to 54. She lost in the first round in Miami.

Jelena began her clay-court season in Charleston. She lost in the second round. She had more first-round losses in Prague and Madrid. At the French Open, she lost in the first round.

Her grass-court season was also very poor. She lost in the first round of Rosmalen, Mallorca, and Wimbledon. At the US Open, she lost in the first round to Petra Kvitová.

Jelena had back surgery in October 2017. She has not played another tournament since then. She ended the year ranked 153, her lowest ranking since January 2003.

2018–2019: Uncertainty

Due to her back surgery, Jelena missed all of the 2018 and 2019 seasons. She also had eye surgery in May 2018. For the first time since 2001, she was not ranked in the WTA singles rankings.

2022: Retirement

Jelena did not play in any WTA tournaments before the COVID-19 pandemic caused the tour to stop. She announced on Instagram that she would play in a special exhibition tournament in Belgrade. She partnered with Novak Djokovic in a mixed doubles match. This was her first tennis match since September 2017. After the match, Jelena said she was still unsure about returning to professional tennis. Jelena officially announced her retirement in July 2022. She said her body no longer allowed her to play professionally. She decided to focus on her health and her child.

Rivalries

Janković vs. Ivanovic

Jelena Janković had a notable rivalry with fellow Serbian player Ana Ivanovic. They played 12 times, with Ivanovic winning 9 of those matches. Seven of their matches were at important stages of tournaments. Two were at Grand Slam tournaments.

Their most important match was in the semifinals of the 2008 French Open. This match decided which player would become the first Serbian, male or female, to reach the world No. 1 ranking. Ivanovic won the match and became world No. 1. However, Jelena reached the top ranking later that year.

They had a disagreement in early 2010. This was because Ivanovic decided not to play in a Fed Cup match for Serbia. They met in a match in Madrid that year. Jelena won, and it was her third win against Ivanovic. Their last meeting was in 2014, where Ivanovic won again.

Janković vs. Zvonareva

Jelena Janković and Vera Zvonareva played 14 times. Zvonareva won 8 of their matches. Their first match was in 2005.

They played six times in 2008. Jelena won four of those matches. This included three wins in a row during the fall season. The third win was in the final of the 2008 Kremlin Cup. This was Jelena's third title in three weeks. However, Zvonareva beat Jelena at the 2008 WTA Tour Championships later that year. This started a five-match winning streak for Zvonareva against Jelena.

Their only Grand Slam match was at Wimbledon in 2010. Zvonareva won when Jelena had to stop playing due to injury. Their most recent match was in 2011, which Zvonareva won.

Janković vs. Venus Williams

Jelena Janković and Venus Williams played 14 times, and each player won seven matches. Jelena leads on clay courts and grass. Venus leads on hard courts. Their matches were often very close. Only three of their matches ended in straight sets. One of these was in 2010, where Jelena won easily. This was Venus Williams's worst career loss.

They played three times in Grand Slam tournaments. Jelena caused a surprise at Wimbledon in 2006. She beat the defending champion, Venus, in the third round. They met twice at Grand Slams in 2007. Jelena won at the French Open, and Venus won at the US Open. Both matches went to three sets.

They also met twice in the semifinals of the WTA Tour Championships. Venus won both times. Their most recent match was in 2017. Venus won after Jelena had been leading. This match tied their rivalry at seven wins each.

Janković vs. Serena Williams

Jelena Janković and Serena Williams played 14 times. Serena leads their matches 10–4. Most of their matches were on hardcourts.

Their first match was in 2004. Serena won. In 2005, Jelena caused a surprise win against Serena in Dubai. Serena had to stop playing due to injury. Jelena was one of only a few players to win a 6–0 set against Serena.

Jelena won in Los Angeles in 2006. Serena won at the Australian Open in 2007. At the Australian Open quarterfinal in 2008, Jelena won.

They met in a final for the first time at the 2008 Sony Ericsson Open in Miami. Serena won. They played again in a final at the US Open in 2008. Serena won again. In that match, Jelena had chances to win the second set but Serena saved them.

Two years later, in 2010, Jelena beat Serena in the semifinals of the 2010 Internazionali BNL d'Italia. She saved a match point. In the same tournament, she had also beaten Venus Williams. This made her the only woman to defeat both Williams sisters within 24 hours. Their only match on grass was at the Tennis at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Serena won and went on to win the gold medal.

Serena won their finals matches in Charleston and Beijing in 2013. She also won their semifinal match at the 2013 WTA Tour Championships. Their most recent match was in 2014. Serena won in straight sets.

Janković vs. Justine Henin

Jelena Janković and Justine Henin played ten times. Henin won every match. They never played on carpet or grass. Five matches were on clay and five on hard courts. Six of their matches went to three sets. Most of their matches (7) happened in 2007. They met twice in Grand Slams. Despite Henin winning all their matches, they were always very competitive.

Playing style

Jelena Janković is known as a defensive baseliner. This means she plays from the back of the court and focuses on getting every ball back. She is very good at sliding on all court surfaces. Jelena has consistent groundstrokes. She often hits the ball down the line instead of across the court. Her strongest shot is her two-handed backhand, especially when she hits it down the line. She also has a good forehand.

Early in her career, her serve was a weakness. She would often hit a soft serve, which made it easier for opponents to break her serve. After 2008, her serve became stronger. Her weakest surface is grass. Her best surface is fast hard courts. On these courts, she can use her defensive skills and speed well. However, she has won six of her fifteen titles on clay, so that could also be considered a strong surface for her.

One of her most famous wins was on grass at Wimbledon in 2015. She beat Petra Kvitová, who was the defending champion and world No. 2. Kvitová was also the only player who had beaten Serena Williams that year. Jelena's ups and downs in matches sometimes led to her nickname 'Queen Chaos.'

Personal life

In 2008, a documentary called Jelenin svet (Jelena's World) was made about her life. It featured other famous players like Justine Henin and Ana Ivanovic.

On December 5, 2007, Jelena became a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia. She helps the Children's Fund. She said, "I am happy to have become a UNICEF ambassador for Serbia. This is a great honour for me." Jelena is the second Serbian tennis star to become a UNICEF ambassador, after Ana Ivanovic.

Jelena Janković is a cousin of Serbian singer Dijana Janković, also known as Didi J. On April 6, 2021, Jelena gave birth to a baby girl in Belgrade, Serbia.

Endorsements

Janković promoting Reebok in 2007

Jelena Janković is currently sponsored by the Italian sports company Fila. Before Fila, she was sponsored by Anta and Reebok. She even had her own clothing line with them. Jelena also has a sponsorship with Prince Sports for her tennis rackets. She has used different Prince rackets throughout her career. Since 2014, she has been playing with the Prince O3 Red LS racket.