After compiling a list of the 10 best Serbian male tennis players of all time, it’s now time to highlight the top 10 Serbian female tennis players. Once again, our primary criterion will be the highest singles ranking they achieved on the WTA rankings.
Throughout history, Serbia has had two female players who managed to reach the No. 1 spot in the WTA rankings. Some may argue there were three, but it’s only fair to say that Monica Seles achieved her greatest successes representing a country that no longer exists – the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
Of course, Monica will be mentioned in this article, but first we must acknowledge the woman who was a true pioneer of “the white sport” in this region – Jelena Gencic. Without her, Serbia might never have had the greatest male tennis player of all time. Jelena played Wimbledon as early as 1959, long before the WTA rankings were introduced in November 1975, so she never had an official singles ranking. Later as a coach, she discovered and developed many tennis stars, including Monica Seles, Goran Ivanisevic, and above all Novak Djokovic, who frequently credits her influence.
Back in the day
Novak Djokovic & Jelena Gencic, the coach who discovered his talent
📸 ??? pic.twitter.com/2X4vMU00cL
— Christopher Clarey 🇺🇸 🇫🇷 🇪🇸 (@christophclarey) March 8, 2021
Now, let’s begin presenting the 10 best Serbian female tennis players in singles competition. It’s worth noting that up to this day, ten Serbian players have made it into the Top 100 in the world.
10. Ivana Jorovic
Ivana Jorovic showed great promise early in her career, and just when things started moving in the right direction, she reached her career-high ranking of No. 86 on July 15, 2019. Unfortunately, injuries soon followed, preventing her from reaching even greater heights.
The Čačak-born player competed in the main draw of all four Grand Slam tournaments, with her best result being a second-round appearance at Wimbledon 2019.
9. Vesna Dolonc
Often forgotten these days, Vesna Dolonc (née Manasieva) switched allegiance in May 2012 from Russia, the country of her birth, to Serbia, the homeland of her father. Her career-best singles ranking of No. 84 was achieved under the Serbian flag.
Dolonc played in all four Grand Slams. Her best results were third-round appearances at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, while she never made it past the first round at the US Open.
8. Sandra Nacuk
Hailing from Novi Sad, Sandra Nacuk built her career during the turbulent 1990s and managed to climb as high as No. 81 on August 16, 1999. This achievement largely went unnoticed in a country still recovering from NATO bombing.
Due to injuries and financial difficulties, Sandra retired at just 23. One remarkable fact from her career: she faced Steffi Graf in Graf’s 1,000th professional match. Naćuk even led 3–1 in the deciding set, but the German legend ultimately prevailed.
7. Nina Stojanovic
Nina Stojanovic steadily developed her career, balancing singles and doubles. While she reached greater success in doubles, her career-high singles ranking of No. 81 on March 2, 2020, secures her seventh spot on this list.
She played in all four Grand Slams but only advanced past the first round at the Australian Open, reaching the second round. Despite injuries slowing her down, her comeback and first WTA title in Chile in late 2024 give hope for a return to the Top 100.
6. Tatjana Jecmenica
Another Novi Sad native, Tatjana Jecmenica Jevtic, ended her professional career shockingly early at the age of 20. At just 18, she reached No. 78 in the world on June 24, 1996.
Feliz cumpleaños a Tatjana Jecmenica, capitana del equipo serbio de #FedCup pic.twitter.com/QmVuWwfMdD
— Billie Jean King Cup (@BJKCup_es) July 4, 2015
She competed in all four Grand Slams, reaching the second round at both Roland Garros and the US Open. After retiring, she occasionally played doubles but never returned full-time. Today, she is better known to the public as Serbia’s Fed Cup captain, serving two terms in that role.
5. Aleksandra Krunic
Born in Moscow, Aleksandra Krunic reached her career-high ranking of No. 39 on June 18, 2018, shortly after winning her only WTA singles title in ’s-Hertogenbosch on grass.
She has recorded wins at every Grand Slam: second rounds at the Australian Open and Roland Garros, a third round at Wimbledon, and her best result at the US Open, where she reached the fourth round in 2014, defeating Madison Keys and Petra Kvitová before falling to Victoria Azarenka.
4. Olga Danilovic
When she won the WTA tournament in Moscow in 2018, Olga Danilovic became the first player born in the 21st century to claim a WTA title. After a period of stagnation, she bounced back in 2024 by winning her second career title in Guangzhou, China.
On July 14, 2025, shortly after reaching the Wimbledon final, she achieved her career-high ranking of No. 32. Olga has played all four Grand Slams, consistently passing the first round, with her best results being fourth-round runs at the Australian Open and Roland Garros.
3. Bojana Jovanovski
During the peak years of Jelena Jankovic and Ana Ivanovic, Bojana Jovanovski Petrovic quietly built her own path. While her career-high No. 32 ranking on August 4, 2014, may have seemed overshadowed by her compatriots, it was a remarkable achievement considering Serbia had three top-level players at the same time.
Bojana Jovanovski upsets Caroline Wozniacki 26 64 76(5), Jovanovski’s 1st win since @AustralianOpen! #WTA #tennis pic.twitter.com/N4XrICCqL6
— wta (@WTA) May 14, 2013
She reached at least the second round at every Grand Slam. Her best results include the third round at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, and the fourth round (last 16) at the 2013 Australian Open. Bojana also won two WTA titles: Baku (2012) and Tashkent (2013).
2. Jelena Jankovic
In second place is former world No. 1 Jelena Jankovic. She claimed the top spot on August 11, 2008, and held it for a total of 18 weeks. While some might argue this deserves first place, other factors tipped the balance.
Jelena won 15 WTA singles titles, including six Premier tournaments. The only missing piece in her career was a Grand Slam title—her closest attempt came at the 2008 US Open, where she lost in the final to Serena Williams. She also reached the semifinals at the Australian Open (2008) and Roland Garros (2007, 2008, 2010). At Wimbledon, her best results were five fourth-round appearances.
She also represented Serbia at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, reaching the quarterfinals before falling to Dinara Safina.
1. Ana Ivanovic
At the top of the list is Ana Ivanovic, Serbia’s greatest female player. At Roland Garros 2008, she defeated compatriot Jelena Jankovic in the semifinal, and that win secured her the No. 1 ranking on June 9, 2008.
Though she held the top spot for only 12 weeks (six fewer than Jankovic), Ana edges ahead because of her Grand Slam title. She remains the only Serbian woman to win a major, lifting the Roland Garros trophy in 2008. She also reached the Roland Garros final in 2007 and the Australian Open final in 2008. Both Ana and Jelena won 15 WTA singles titles, but Ana has a better head-to-head record against her compatriot (9–3).
Her other best Slam results were a Wimbledon semifinal in 2007 and a US Open quarterfinal in 2012. But her most iconic moment remains her tears of joy and the Serbian anthem “Boze pravde” after her 2008 French Open triumph.
Time flies…
Who Else Could Have Made the List?
If you thought we had forgotten them – we haven’t. There are two more names that could have rightfully been included on our list, but they weren’t, and we’ll explain why.
Jelena Dokic
Born in Osijek, Dokic represented Australia until 2000, then, at her father Damir’s insistence, switched to play for FR Yugoslavia/Serbia & Montenegro from 2001 to 2006, before again representing Australia.
Why police didn’t investigate abuse by Damir Dokic to daughter Jelena https://t.co/47H05Avb1y pic.twitter.com/WTy8MjWq0n
— Telegraph Sport (@telegraph_sport) November 12, 2017
Her years playing for Yugoslavia were filled with controversies, including political statements. She even wrote a letter to Serbian Radical Party leader Vojislav Seselj in 2002, promising to continue representing Yugoslavia only if his party won the elections.
“You will win already in the first round, I am certain of that, because you are the last hope for the Serbian people. Only then, when you, Mr. Šešelj, become the president of Serbia, will I have a place to return to,” reads the letter that, according to the Serbian Radical Party, Jelena Dokić sent to Vojislav Šešelj on August 23, 2002.
Dokic opens up on years of abuse https://t.co/HFw3LmoBdD pic.twitter.com/E8IjP4qa8y
— MSN Australia (@MSNAustralia) November 11, 2017
Despite the drama, her time under the Yugoslav flag coincided with her best career ranking—No. 4 on August 19, 2002. Later, she admitted she never wanted to switch and that her father had forced her.
“That was not my decision at all. I love Australia and I am very grateful to the country that gave me everything I needed when I came as a refugee at the age of 11. I loved playing for Australia and I felt completely Australian – he took that away from me. I was only 17. I was forced to do it and to make it public, something I was completely against.”
Monica Seles
Destiny had Monica Seles win her only Olympic medal, a bronze in Sydney 2000, representing the United States—and against Jelena Dokic in the playoff match.
Seles reached No. 1 for the first time on March 11, 1991, and won eight of her nine Grand Slam titles while playing for Yugoslavia, before the tragic stabbing incident in Hamburg derailed her career.
Though she later played for the U.S., her biggest triumphs came under the Yugoslav flag. For that reason, Seles will always be remembered as the greatest female player from former Yugoslavia, though not strictly Serbia.
