Jelena Janković

Jelena Janković is a Serbian former professional tennis player who reached world No. 1 in 2008 and the US Open final that same year, without winning a major.

Jelena Janković was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and began playing tennis as a child before turning professional and developing into one of the most dogged and mentally resilient competitors on the WTA Tour, renowned for exceptional court coverage and a relentless counter-punching baseline game. Janković reached the world No. 1 ranking on 11 August 2008, becoming the first Serbian player, male or female, to top the WTA rankings, capping a breakthrough season in which she also reached her first Grand Slam final at that year's US Open, losing to Serena Williams. Despite reaching world No. 1 and multiple Grand Slam semi-finals across her career, a singles major title continued to elude Janković, and she is remembered as one of the finest players never to win one of the sport's four biggest tournaments. She was renowned for her flamboyant personality and colourful on-court fashion choices, becoming one of the WTA's most recognisable and popular figures during her prime. Janković represented Serbia throughout her career, helping raise the profile of the country's tennis alongside compatriots including Ana Ivanović and Novak Djokovic, and remains one of the most accomplished Serbian athletes in the sport's history.

Janković was known for her exceptional defensive abilities and remarkable court coverage, able to retrieve seemingly impossible shots from all areas of the court. She possessed strong baseline groundstrokes and was particularly effective at turning defense into offense, frustrating opponents with her consistency and ability to extend rallies.

Janković helped establish Serbia as a major force in women's tennis and paved the way for future Serbian players to achieve success on the international stage.

• Former world No. 1
• US Open 2008 finalist