The Most Famous

TENNIS PLAYERS from Serbia

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This page contains a list of the greatest Serbian Tennis Players. The pantheon dataset contains 1,569 Tennis Players, 16 of which were born in Serbia. This makes Serbia the birth place of the 21st most number of Tennis Players behind South Africa, and Belgium.

Top 10

The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the top 10 most legendary Serbian Tennis Players of all time. This list of famous Serbian Tennis Players is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity. Visit the rankings page to view the entire list of Serbian Tennis Players.

Photo of Novak Djokovic

1. Novak Djokovic (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 67.43, Novak Djokovic is the most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 134 different languages on wikipedia.

Novak Djokovic (Serbian: Новак Ђоковић, Novak Đoković, pronounced [nôʋaːk dʑôːkoʋitɕ] ; born 22 May 1987) is a Serbian professional tennis player who is currently ranked world No. 1 in singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Djokovic has been ranked No. 1 for a record total of 424 weeks in a record 13 different years, and finished as the year-end No. 1 a record eight times. Djokovic has won a record 24 Grand Slam men's singles titles, including a record ten Australian Open titles. Overall, he has won 98 singles titles, including a record 71 Big Titles: 24 majors, a record 40 Masters, and a record seven ATP Finals. Djokovic is the only man in tennis history to be the reigning champion of all four majors at once across three different surfaces. In singles, he is the only man to achieve a triple Career Grand Slam, and the only player to complete a career Golden Masters, a feat he has achieved twice. Djokovic began his professional career in 2003. In 2008, at age 20, he disrupted Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal's streak of 11 consecutive majors by winning his first major title at the Australian Open. By 2010, Djokovic had begun to separate himself from the rest of the field and, as a result, the trio of Federer, Nadal and Djokovic was referred to as the "Big Three" among fans and commentators. In 2011, Djokovic ascended to No. 1 for the first time, winning three majors and a then-record five Masters titles while going 10–1 against Nadal and Federer. He remained the most successful player in men's tennis for the rest of the decade. In 2015, Djokovic had his most successful season, reaching a single-season record 15 consecutive finals, winning a season-record 10 Big Titles while having a record 31 victories over the top-10 players. His dominant run extended through to the 2016 French Open, where he completed his first Career Grand Slam and a non-calendar year Grand Slam, becoming the first man since Rod Laver in 1969 to hold all four majors simultaneously and setting a rankings points record of 16,950. In 2017, Djokovic suffered from an elbow injury that weakened his results until the 2018 Wimbledon Championships, where he won the title while ranked No. 21 in the world. Djokovic has continued to be a dominant force on the tour since then, winning 12 major titles and completing his second and third Career Grand Slams. Due to his opposition to COVID-19 vaccine, Djokovic was forced to skip many tournaments in 2022, notably the Australian Open and the US Open; two major events he was the favourite to win. One year after the Australian visa controversy, Djokovic made a successful comeback to reclaim the 2023 Australian Open trophy, and shortly after he claimed the French Open to take the outright record for most men's singles majors won in history. Representing Serbia, Djokovic led the national tennis team to its first Davis Cup title in 2010, and to the inaugural ATP Cup title in 2020. He also won the bronze medal for his country at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Djokovic is a recipient of the Order of Karađorđe's Star, Order of St. Sava, and the Order of the Republika Srpska. His other awards include being named the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year a joint-record five times (2012, 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2024) and the 2011 BBC Overseas Sports Personality of the Year. Beyond competition, Djokovic was elected as the president of the ATP Player Council in 2016. He stepped down in 2020 to front a new player-only tennis association; the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) founded by him and Vasek Pospisil, citing the need for players to have more influence on the tour and advocating better prize money structure for lower ranked players. Djokovic is an active philanthropist. He is the founder of Novak Djokovic Foundation, which is committed to supporting children from disadvantaged communities. Djokovic was appointed a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2015.

Photo of Monica Seles

2. Monica Seles (b. 1973)

With an HPI of 56.73, Monica Seles is the 2nd most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 61 different languages.

Monica Seles (born December 2, 1973) is a former world No. 1 tennis player who represented Yugoslavia and the United States. She won nine major singles titles, eight of them as a teenager while representing Yugoslavia, and the final one while representing the United States. In 1990, Seles became the youngest-ever French Open champion at the age of 16. She went on to win eight major singles titles before turning 20 and was the year-end No. 1 in 1991 and 1992. However, on April 30, 1993, while playing a match, she was the victim of an on-court attack when an obsessed fan of Seles' rival Steffi Graf stabbed Seles in the back with a 9-inch (23 cm) knife as she was sitting down between games. Seles did not return to tennis for over two years after the stabbing. Though she enjoyed success after returning in 1995, including another major championship at the 1996 Australian Open, she was unable to consistently produce her best tennis. She played her last professional match at the 2003 French Open but did not officially retire until February 2008. Regarded by many as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, Seles was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time. Several players and historians have stated that Seles had the potential to become the most accomplished female player of all time had she not been stabbed. She was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009.

Photo of Momčilo Tapavica

3. Momčilo Tapavica (1872 - 1949)

With an HPI of 54.73, Momčilo Tapavica is the 3rd most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 27 different languages.

Momčilo Tapavica (Serbian Cyrillic: Момчило Тапавица; Hungarian: Tapavicza Momcsilló [ˈtɒpɒvit͡sɒ ˈmomt͡ʃilloː]; 14 October 1872 – 10 January 1949) was an all-around sportsperson, competing in tennis, weightlifting, wrestling. Tapavica achieved his best result in tennis by winning the singles bronze medal at the 1896 Summer Olympics, making him the first ethnic Serb, Slav and Hungarian citizen to win an Olympic medal. After his sporting career Tapavica became a well-known architect.

Photo of Ana Ivanovic

4. Ana Ivanovic (b. 1987)

With an HPI of 49.09, Ana Ivanovic is the 4th most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 65 different languages.

Ana Schweinsteiger (née Ivanović; born 6 November 1987) is a Serbian former world No. 1 tennis player. She claimed the top ranking after winning the 2008 French Open, and held the position for a total of 12 weeks. She was also the runner-up at the 2007 French Open and the 2008 Australian Open, losing to Justine Henin and Maria Sharapova respectively. She qualified for the year-end WTA Tour Championships three times, in 2007, 2008 and 2014 and won the year-end WTA Tournament of Champions twice, in 2010 and 2011. Ivanovic won 15 WTA Tour singles titles, including a Grand Slam singles title at the French Open in 2008. During this time, she earned over $15.5 million in prize money, which is the 25th highest in the all-time rankings. In June 2011, she was named one of the "30 Legends of Women's Tennis: Past, Present and Future" by Time and was also included on the list of "Top 100 Greatest Players Ever" (male and female combined) by reporter Matthew Cronin. Her breakthrough came at the 2004 Zurich Open, where she qualified and was narrowly beaten by Venus Williams in the second round in two tiebreak sets. By the age of 18, Ivanovic had already defeated established players such as Svetlana Kuznetsova, Nadia Petrova, Vera Zvonareva and Amélie Mauresmo. Ivanovic was known for her aggressive style of play and impressive forehand, described by Petrova as "the best out there." Ivanovic's struggles after winning the 2008 French Open were well documented. After that victory, she was overwhelmed by attention and endured an ongoing period of reduced success, failing to make a Grand Slam quarterfinal in her subsequent 17 Grand Slam tournaments, and dropping as low as No. 65 in the rankings during July 2010. In 2012, Ivanovic reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal since her French Open victory at the 2012 US Open, thereby achieving the feat of reaching the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments, and finished with a year-end top 15 ranking for the first time since 2008. In 2014, Ivanovic enjoyed a resurgence, beginning with her victory in the Auckland Open, her first singles title in over two years, before going on to win the Monterrey Open, Aegon Classic and the Pan Pacific Open. She qualified for competition in the WTA Tour Championships and secured a year-end ranking of No. 5, signifying her return to the world's elite. In 2015, Ivanovic made it to the semifinals of a major for the first time in seven years at the French Open. In late December 2016, she announced her retirement, citing being no longer able to perform to a high standard as a major factor.

Photo of Slobodan Živojinović

5. Slobodan Živojinović (b. 1963)

With an HPI of 48.27, Slobodan Živojinović is the 5th most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 22 different languages.

Slobodan "Bobo" Živojinović (Serbian Cyrillic: Слободан Живојиновић, pronounced [slɔbɔ̌dan ʒiʋɔjǐːnɔʋit͡ɕ]; born 23 July 1963) is a Serbian former professional tennis player who competed for SFR Yugoslavia. Together with Nenad Zimonjić, he is the only tennis player from Serbia to be the world No. 1 in doubles. As a singles player, he reached the semifinals of the 1985 Australian Open and the 1986 Wimbledon Championships, achieving a career-high ranking of world No. 19 in October 1987.

Photo of Jelena Janković

6. Jelena Janković (b. 1985)

With an HPI of 46.04, Jelena Janković is the 6th most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  Her biography has been translated into 54 different languages.

Jelena Janković (Serbian Cyrillic: Јелена Јанковић, Serbian pronunciation: [jělena jǎːŋkoʋitɕ]; born 28 February 1985) is a Serbian former world No. 1 tennis player. Janković reached the top ranking before her career-best major performance, a runner-up finish at the 2008 US Open. Janković won 15 WTA Tour singles titles and two doubles titles, with career highlights including the 2007 Wimbledon mixed-doubles title partnering Jamie Murray.

Photo of Janko Tipsarević

7. Janko Tipsarević (b. 1984)

With an HPI of 43.69, Janko Tipsarević is the 7th most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 41 different languages.

Janko Tipsarević (Serbian Cyrillic: Јанко Типсаревић, pronounced [jâːŋko tipsǎːreʋitɕ]; born 22 June 1984) is a Serbian politician and former professional tennis player. His career-high singles ranking is world No. 8, achieved on 2 April 2012. In his career, he won 4 ATP World Tour titles, one ATP doubles title, three Futures, and 15 Challenger titles. Tipsarević also won the 2001 Australian Open junior title. He holds notable victories over former world No. 1 players Carlos Moyá, Marat Safin, Lleyton Hewitt, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Andy Roddick, his compatriot Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. His best results at a Grand Slam tournament have been reaching the quarterfinals at the US Open in 2011 and 2012.

Photo of Viktor Troicki

8. Viktor Troicki (b. 1986)

With an HPI of 42.71, Viktor Troicki is the 8th most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 35 different languages.

Viktor Troicki (Serbian Cyrillic: Виктор Троицки, pronounced [ʋîktor troǐtskiː]; born 10 February 1986) is a Serbian former professional tennis player. He won his first ATP singles title at the 2010 Kremlin Cup, and his second and third ATP singles titles at the 2015 and 2016 Apia International Sydney. His biggest achievements were a career-high singles ranking of world No. 12 (achieved in June 2011) and winning the deciding rubber in Serbia's Davis Cup final against France in 2010. Since then, in every Davis Cup he attended, he has contributed to Serbia reaching a quarterfinal or better. He is known for serving a 12-month ban for an anti-doping rule violation in 2013–14 for missing a blood test. By winning the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020, Troicki became the first player in tennis Open Era history to win all three major team competitions (Davis Cup in 2010 and World Team Cup in 2009 and 2012). In December 2020, Troicki was appointed captain of the Serbian team for the Davis Cup and ATP Cup.

Photo of Nenad Zimonjić

9. Nenad Zimonjić (b. 1976)

With an HPI of 42.11, Nenad Zimonjić is the 9th most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.

Nenad Zimonjić (Serbian Cyrillic: Ненад Зимоњић, pronounced [nênaːd zǐmoɲitɕ]; born 4 June 1976) is a Serbian professional tennis player who was ranked world No. 1 in doubles. He is an eight-time Grand Slam champion, having won the 2008 and 2009 Wimbledon Championships as well as the 2010 French Open in men's doubles partnering Daniel Nestor. In mixed doubles, Zimonjić won the 2004 Australian Open partnering Elena Bovina, the 2006 and 2010 French Opens partnering Katarina Srebotnik, the 2008 Australian Open partnering Sun Tiantian, and the 2014 Wimbledon Championships partnering Samantha Stosur. He has also reached nine further major finals across the two disciplines. Zimonjić won 54 doubles titles on the ATP Tour, including the 2008 and 2010 Tour Finals, and 15 Masters 1000-level titles. He became the world No. 1 for the first time in November 2008, going on to spend 50 weeks at the top of the rankings over the next two years. Zimonjić was the second Serbian to top the doubles rankings, after Slobodan Živojinović in 1986. In singles, he reached his career-high ranking of world No. 176 in March 1999, and achieved his best major result at the Wimbledon Championships that year, reaching the third round. Zimonjić represented Serbia in the Davis Cup from 1995 to 2017, competing in 55 ties and earning 43 victories, making him the most successful Davis Cup player in Serbian history. He was also part of the team that won the tournament in 2010, and served as captain from 2017 to 2020, overseeing Serbia's victory at the inaugural ATP Cup in 2020. Zimonjić also competed at the Olympic Games on four occasions.

Photo of Daniel Nestor

10. Daniel Nestor (b. 1972)

With an HPI of 41.38, Daniel Nestor is the 10th most famous Serbian Tennis Player.  His biography has been translated into 32 different languages.

Daniel Mark Nestor ( NES-tər; Serbian: Данијел Нестор, romanized: Danijel Nestor; born September 4, 1972) is a Canadian former professional tennis player. Nestor won 91 men's doubles titles (with 11 different partners), including an Olympic gold medal at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, four Tour Finals titles, and twelve major doubles titles attained with seven different partners (eight in men's doubles and four in mixed doubles). Nestor was the first man in history to win every major and Masters event, the Tour Finals, and an Olympic gold medal, an achievement since matched by the Bryan brothers. He was part of the ATP Doubles Team of the Year in 2002 and 2004 (with Mark Knowles), and 2008 (with Nenad Zimonjić). Nestor became the world No. 1 doubles player for the first time in August 2002. Nestor is widely considered one of the foremost doubles players in history, due to his longevity and continued success at the top of the game. As of March 2018, he is 10th for the most ATP Tour titles in Open Era history, and has the third-highest tally for doubles titles. In January 2016, Nestor became the first doubles player in ATP history to win 1000 matches. He was continuously ranked in the top 100 in doubles from April 1994 to April 2018, a total of 1134 consecutive weeks. Nestor retired at the end of the 2018 season, ending a 27-year career.

People

Pantheon has 20 people classified as Serbian tennis players born between 1872 and 1999. Of these 20, 19 (95.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Serbian tennis players include Novak Djokovic, Monica Seles, and Ana Ivanovic. The most famous deceased Serbian tennis players include Momčilo Tapavica. As of April 2024, 3 new Serbian tennis players have been added to Pantheon including Maja Matevžič, Boris Pašanski, and Ivana Jorović.

Living Serbian Tennis Players

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Deceased Serbian Tennis Players

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Newly Added Serbian Tennis Players (2024)

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