Jelena Janković facts for kids

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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 (born February 28, 1985) is a former professional tennis player from Serbia. She was once ranked the world No. 1 in women's singles. She held this top spot for 18 weeks, including at the end of 2008.

Janković won 15 singles titles and two doubles titles during her career. One of her biggest wins was the 2007 Wimbledon mixed-doubles title with her partner Jamie Murray. Her best result in a major singles tournament was reaching the final of the 2008 US Open. She officially retired from professional tennis in 2022.

Early Life and Training
Tennis Career Highlights
Playing Style
Personal Life
Endorsements
Awards and Honours
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Training

Jelena Janković was born in Belgrade, which was then part of Yugoslavia. She was the third child of Veselin and Snežana, who were both economists. She has two older brothers, Marko and Stefan.

Janković started playing tennis at the Tennis Club 'Red Star'. Her older brother Marko, who was also her fitness coach, introduced her to tennis when she was nine and a half years old. She later trained at the famous Tennis Academy of Nick Bollettieri.

As a junior player, she was very successful. She won the 2001 Australian Open junior title and became the junior world No. 1. She began playing on the WTA Tour in 2001. Her first tournament was the Indian Wells Open, where she reached the second round.

Tennis Career Highlights

Jelena Janković was ranked world No. 1 for 17 weeks in a row. This lasted until Serena Williams took over the top spot in February 2009. Janković was the year-end world No. 1 in 2008. She was the first player in the history of the WTA Tour to achieve this without winning a Grand Slam singles title.

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

Rising Success (2004–2006)

In October 2003, Janković entered the top 100 rankings for the first time. She won her first ITF title in Dubai. A few months later, she beat a top-10 player, Elena Dementieva, at the 2004 Australian Open. In May, Janković won her first WTA title in Budapest. After this win, her ranking rose to No. 51. She finished 2004 ranked No. 28 in the world.

In 2005, she reached the final at the Dubai tournament. She lost to Lindsay Davenport in a close match. She also reached her first major semifinal in Berlin. Later that year, she made her first final on grass courts in Birmingham. She finished 2005 ranked No. 22.

Janković faced a tough period in 2006, losing ten matches in a row. She even thought about quitting tennis. However, she bounced back by beating Elena Likhovtseva at the Italian Open. At Wimbledon, she surprised everyone by defeating the defending champion, Venus Williams, in the third round. She reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for the first time.

Jelena Janković at 2006 Wimbledon Championships

At the US Open, Janković had a great run. She beat several top players, including Nicole Vaidišová, Svetlana Kuznetsova, and Elena Dementieva. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. In the semifinals, she played against Justine Henin and lost in three sets. Janković ended 2006 at a career-high ranking of world No. 12.

Becoming World No. 3 (2007)

Janković started 2007 by winning her second career title at the ASB Classic. The next week, she reached the final of the Sydney International. She beat top players like Martina Hingis and Amélie Mauresmo before losing to Kim Clijsters. Her strong start helped her enter the top 10 for the first time, reaching world No. 10.

Janković at the 2007 Dubai Tennis Championships.

During the clay-court season, Janković won her first major title at the Family Circle Cup in Charleston. She defeated Dinara Safina in the final. She then won her second major title at the Italian Open, beating Svetlana Kuznetsova. These wins helped her enter the top 5 rankings. At the French Open, she reached the semifinals for the second time in a Grand Slam. She lost to the eventual champion, Justine Henin. This result moved her ranking to a new career-high of world No. 3.

On grass, Janković won the Birmingham Classic title, defeating Maria Sharapova in the final. The next week, she reached another final in the Netherlands. At Wimbledon, she lost in the fourth round. However, she won the mixed doubles title with Jamie Murray.

Janković practicing at the 2007 US Open

During the summer hardcourt season in North America, Janković reached the semifinals of the East West Bank Classic and the final of the Canadian Open. At the US Open, she lost in the quarterfinals to Venus Williams.

Janković finished 2007 ranked world No. 3. She had a record-breaking year, winning 72 matches. After the season, she had nose surgery to help with a breathing problem. The Olympic Committee of Serbia named her the sportswoman of the year.

World No. 1 and First Grand Slam Final (2008)

Janković at the 2008 WTA Tour Championships

Janković reached the semifinals of the Australian Open, beating defending champion Serena Williams along the way. She lost to Maria Sharapova. In March, she reached her first final of the year at the Miami Open, losing to Serena Williams.

She successfully defended her title at the Italian Open in Rome, winning her first singles title of 2008. At the French Open, she reached the semifinals again. She lost to her fellow Serbian player, Ana Ivanovic. This was her fourth Grand Slam semifinal loss.

At Wimbledon, Janković injured her knee. This affected her play, and she lost in the fourth round. She finally became the world No. 1 on August 11, 2008. She was the 18th woman to reach this ranking. She was also the first woman to become world No. 1 without reaching a Grand Slam final.

Her time as world No. 1 lasted only one week. She lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics. However, she reclaimed the world No. 1 spot later that year. At the US Open, Janković reached her first Grand Slam final. She defeated Elena Dementieva in the semifinals. In the final, she lost to Serena Williams.

Janković became world No. 1 again during the fall season. She won three tournaments in a row: the China Open, the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, and the Kremlin Cup in Moscow. This was the first time a player on the WTA Tour had won three consecutive titles since 2005.

She finished 2008 as the year-end world No. 1. The ITF named her the World Champion for her great performance. She won four titles that season, more than any other player. The Olympic Committee of Serbia again named her the best sportswoman.

Continued Success (2009–2010)

Janković was the top seed at the Australian Open but lost in the fourth round. She then reached the semifinals of the Open GDF Suez tournament in Paris. She won her first title of 2009 at the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella.

Janković at the 2009 US Open

At the French Open, she lost in the fourth round. At Wimbledon, she lost in the third round. However, at the Western & Southern Open in Cincinnati, Janković won her second title of the year. She defeated the world No. 1, Dinara Safina, in the final. This win brought her ranking back to world No. 4. She finished 2009 ranked No. 8.

Janković at the 2010 Porsche Grand Prix

In 2010, Janković won her 12th title at the Indian Wells Open. She defeated Caroline Wozniacki in the final. At the Italian Open, she had an amazing run. She gave Venus Williams her worst career loss, winning 6-0, 6-1. She then beat the reigning world No. 1, Serena Williams, in the semifinals. This made her one of the few women to defeat both Williams sisters in the same tournament. She lost in the final but her ranking rose to world No. 4.

Janković reached the semifinals of the French Open. Two weeks later, her ranking increased to world No. 3. She played at Wimbledon but had to retire in the fourth round due to injuries. She finished 2010 as the sixth seed at the Tour Championships.

In November 2010, Janković played a special charity match in Belgrade. The money raised helped an elementary school in Kraljevo that was damaged by an earthquake.

Struggles and Recovery (2011–2013)

Janković faced some challenges in 2011 and 2012. She lost early in the Australian Open and Wimbledon. She reached several semifinals in other tournaments, including Dubai and Qatar. Her ranking dropped out of the top 10 for the first time since 2007.

Jelena Janković at the 2011 Rogers Cup.

In 2012, she continued to struggle with her form. 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 to eventual gold medalist Serena Williams.

However, 2013 marked a turning point for Janković. She won her first title in three years at Bogotá, Colombia. This win helped her return to the world's top 20. She also reached the final of the Family Circle Cup, losing to Serena Williams.

Jelena Janković at the 2013 Wimbledon Championships.

At the French Open, she made it to the quarterfinals. She also won her second career doubles title at the Canadian Open with Katarina Srebotnik. At the US Open, she reached the fourth round for the first time since 2008. As a result, Janković returned to the top 10 singles rankings for the first time since June 2011.

She had a strong performance in Asia, reaching the final of the China Open. This meant she won more than 40 matches in a year for the first time since 2009. She qualified for the year-end championships in Istanbul and reached the semifinals. She finished 2013 in the top 10, ranked No. 8.

Injuries and Later Career (2014–2017)

Janković at the 2014 Indian Wells Open.

Janković started 2014 well, reaching the semifinals of the Brisbane International. She also made it to the fourth round of the Australian Open. She continued to have good results in tournaments like Doha and Rome. However, she began to struggle with a back injury. She lost early in Wimbledon and the US Open, falling out of the top 10 after the US Open.

Janković at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships

In 2015, Janković admitted she considered ending her career due to her back injury. Despite this, she had some great moments. She reached the final of the Indian Wells Open, beating several strong players. At Wimbledon, she caused a big upset by defeating the defending champion and world No. 2, Petra Kvitová, in the third round. This was her first time reaching the second week of Wimbledon since 2010.

Janković at the 2015 French Open qualifiers

She won a WTA 125 title in Nanchang, China. She then had a very successful run in China, winning her 14th career title in Guangzhou. She saved a match point in the semifinals and won the final easily. She then won her 15th career title in Hong Kong, defeating Venus Williams and Angelique Kerber.

Janković at the 2016 French Open

Janković at the 2016 US Open

In 2016, injuries continued to affect her performance. She had early exits in many tournaments, including the Australian Open and French Open. She reached the semifinals of the Mallorca Open. At the US Open, she lost in the second round. She finished 2016 ranked 54.

Janković at the 2017 Washington Open

Janković started 2017 with a strong performance at the Australian Open, reaching the third round. However, her struggles continued throughout the year. She had many first-round losses and her ranking dropped to 153, her lowest since 2003. She underwent back surgery in October 2017 and did not play any more tournaments that year.

Retirement (2018–2022)

Due to her back surgery, Janković missed the entire 2018 and 2019 seasons. She also had eye surgery in May 2018, which further delayed any plans to return. For the first time since 2001, she was not ranked in the WTA singles rankings.

In 2020, she played an exhibition mixed doubles match in Belgrade with Novak Djokovic. This was her first tennis match since September 2017. After the match, she was still unsure about returning to professional tennis.

Jelena Janković officially announced her retirement in July 2022. She shared that her body no longer allowed her to play professional tennis. She decided to prioritize her health and her child.

Playing Style

Jelena Janković is known for her defensive playing style. She is often called a "counterpuncher" because she is good at returning her opponent's shots. She can slide well on all court surfaces.

Her groundstrokes are very consistent. 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 spin the ball in, which made it easier for opponents to break her serve. After 2008, her serve became more powerful and reliable.

Her weakest surface is considered to be grass courts. Her best surface is fast hard courts, where she can use her defensive skills and speed. However, she won six of her fifteen titles on clay courts, so clay could also be considered one of her best surfaces.

One of her most famous wins on grass was at the 2015 Wimbledon Championships. She defeated Petra Kvitová, who was the defending champion and world No. 2 at the time. Janković was ranked No. 30 then.

Janković was sometimes called 'Queen Chaos' because her performance could be unpredictable.

Personal Life

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

On December 5, 2007, Janković became a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia. She said she was happy to help promote children's rights and raise money for UNICEF. She was the second Serbian tennis star to become a UNICEF ambassador, after Ana Ivanovic.

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

Endorsements

Janković promoting Reebok in 2007

Janković is sponsored by the Italian sportswear company Fila. In the past, she was sponsored by Anta and Reebok for her tennis clothes.

She also has an endorsement with Prince Sports for her tennis rackets. She used different Prince rackets throughout her career. Since January 2014, she has been playing with the Prince O3 Red LS racket.