Jelena Janković
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| Country |  Serbia and Montenegro and  Serbia |
|---|---|
| Residence | Dubai, United Arab Emirates |
| Date of birth | February 28, 1985 |
| Place of birth | Belgrade, Serbia (then SFR Yugoslavia) |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) |
| Weight | 59 kg (130 lb; 9.3 st) |
| Turned pro | February 6, 2000 |
| Plays | Right-handed (two-handed backhand) |
| Career prize money | US$11,019,582 |
| Singles | |
| Career record | 408–202 |
| Career titles | 12 WTA, 1 ITF |
| Highest ranking | No. 1 (August 11, 2008) |
| Current ranking | No. 5 (August 23, 2010) |
| Grand Slam results | |
| Australian Open | SF (2008) |
| French Open | SF (2007, 2008, 2010) |
| Wimbledon | 4R (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010) |
| US Open | F (2008) |
| Other tournaments | |
| Championships | SF (2008, 2009) |
| Olympic Games | QF (2008) |
| Doubles | |
| Career record | 34–54 |
| Career titles | 1 WTA |
| Highest ranking | No. 43 (November 6, 2006) |
| Grand Slam Doubles results | |
| Australian Open | 3R (2008) |
| French Open | 2R (2007) |
| Wimbledon | 3R (2010) |
| US Open | 3R (2006) |
| Last updated on: October 26, 2009. | |
Jelena Janković (Serbian Cyrillic: Јелена Јанковић) pronounced [ˈjɛlɛna ˈjaːnkɔvitɕ] (
listen); born February 28, 1985 in Belgrade) is a former World No. 1 Serbian professional tennis player. She was runner up at the 2008 US Open and is currently ranked World No. 5.
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Family and early life
Janković was born in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia, as the third child of Veselin and Snežana, two economists. Her mother is from Serbia and her father is from Montenegro (Vasojevići clan). She also has two brothers, Marko and Stefan. She is a student at the Megatrend University in Belgrade, studying economics; however, she has put her course of study on indefinite hold as she continues to pursue her tennis career. Janković learned her first tennis skills at the Tennis Club 'Red Star'.[1] As a nine-and-a-half year old she was introduced to tennis by her elder brother and fitness coach Marko. She was later trained at the Tennis Academy of Nick Bollettieri. As a junior she won the 2001 Australian Open.[2] In 2001, she started to play on the WTA Tour; she reached the second round at her first tournament at the Indian Wells Masters.
Tennis career
In October 2003, Janković entered the top 100 at No. 90 for the first time after winning her first ITF title in Dubai. Three months later, Janković garnered her first top 10 win against Elena Dementieva 6–1, 6–4 in the first round of the 2004 Australian Open. In May, Janković won her first WTA title, a Tier V event, in Budapest, defeating Martina Suchá in the final 7–6, 6–3. Following her win in Budapest, she reached No. 51 in the world. Elsewhere in her 2004 season, she defeated top 20 players Nadia Petrova (twice), Vera Zvonareva, Patty Schnyder and Paola Suárez. Janković finished 2004 ranked No. 28 in the world.
She was ranked World No. 1 for seventeen consecutive weeks until she was overtaken by Serena Williams on February 2, 2009. She was the year-end World No. 1 in 2008, the second player in the history of the WTA tour to do this without winning a Grand Slam title, after Kim Clijsters.
Janković has reached the singles final of the US Open and the singles semifinals of the Australian Open and the French Open. In 2007, she became the first Serbian player to win a Grand Slam Title when she won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title with British partner Jamie Murray.[3]
She is also known for being one of the most consistent Top 10 players, entering it in early 2007 and never falling out of Top 10 ever since.
2005
In March, at Dubai, she advanced to the final following Serena Williams's retirement in the semifinal. Janković then lost in the final to Lindsay Davenport 6–4, 3–6, 6–4. She made her first Tier I semifinal in Berlin, losing to Nadia Petrova 6–4, 6–7, 6–3. In June, she reached her first grass court final at Birmingham, but lost to Maria Sharapova 6–2, 4–6, 6–1. In October, Janković reached her third final of the year in Seoul, ranked No. 17 in the world, her highest ranking at that time, losing to 16-year-old Nicole Vaidišová 7–5, 6–3. Her ranking at the end of the season eclipsed her 2004 record at No. 22.
2006
Janković lost in the second round of the Australian Open to World No. 188 Olga Savchuk. That was the first of ten straight losses, not winning a match from late January into early May. She later said this run caused her to consider quitting tennis. Janković ended her losing streak by beating World No. 17 Elena Likhovtseva in the first round of the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, before eventually losing to Venus Williams in three sets in the quarterfinals. At the French Open, Janković reached the third round for the first time, where she lost to World No. 1 Amélie Mauresmo.
At Wimbledon, Janković surprisingly defeated sixth-seeded and defending champion Venus Williams in the third round in three sets. Competing in the fourth round of a Grand Slam event for the first time, she lost to ninth-seeded Anastasia Myskina 6–4, 7–6(5). In August, Janković reached her fifth career final and first of the year at the JPMorgan Chase Open in Los Angeles, defeating Serena Williams (ranked World No. 108 at the time after a lengthy injury lay-off) in the semifinals before losing to third-seeded Elena Dementieva in the final. The US Open saw Janković defeat World No. 10 Vaidišová in the third round, World No. 7 and former champion Svetlana Kuznetsova in the fourth round, and World No. 5 Dementieva 6–2, 6–1 in her first Gtand Slam quarterfinal. In the semifinals, Janković lost to World No. 2 Justine Henin 4–6, 6–4, 6–0 after Janković had led 6–4, 4–2. Janković argued with the chair umpire when the umpire refused to offer an opinion as to whether a service call had been correct, suggesting that Janković use one of her electronic challenges. Janković then lost ten consecutive games.
Janković continued her strong form in the aftermath of the US Open. Of the six tournaments she played during the remainder of the year, she reached the quarterfinals at five. This included a run to the semifinals at the China Open in Beijing, defeating World No. 7 Nadia Petrova in the quarterfinals before losing to World No. 1 Mauresmo on a third set tiebreak. Janković finished the year at a career-high ranking of World No. 12.
2007
To begin the year, Janković won the second title of her career at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, defeating Vera Zvonareva in the final. The following week, at the Medibank International in Sydney, Janković defeated World No. 7 and former No.1 Martina Hingis and top-seeded Amélie Mauresmo on the way to the final, where she lost to Kim Clijsters after serving for the match.[4] Janković's strong start to the year meant some considered her a title threat at the Australian Open; however, she was eliminated in the fourth round by the eventual champion Serena Williams 6–3, 6–2. Because of her results at these tournaments, her ranking rose to World No. 10, the first time she had been included in the top ten.
Janković reached two semifinals in the Middle East in the spring, retiring against Mauresmo due to an ankle injury at the Dubai Tennis Championships and losing in three sets to Justine Henin at the Qatar Total Open in Doha, Qatar. However, she then failed to reach the semifinals at any of her next three tournaments. Janković rebounded in the clay court season, defeating Venus Williams on a third set tiebreak in the semifinals of the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina. She went on to defeat Dinara Safina in the final to win the first Tier I title of her career. On European red clay, after losing to World No. 1 Henin in three sets in both the semifinals of the J&S Cup in Warsaw and the quarterfinals of the Qatar Telecom German Open (failing to hold a 4–0 lead in the third set in the latter), Janković won her second career Tier I title at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome, defeating second-seeded Svetlana Kuznetsova in the final. This results meant she entered the top five on the world rankings for the first time. Janković was the fourth seed at the French Open and one of the favorites for the title. After registering her third consecutive victory over Venus Williams in the third round, she went on to reach the semifinals of a Grand Slam for the second time in her career, but lost there to eventucal champion Henin 6–2, 6–2. This improved her ranking to a new career-high of World No. 3.
On grass, Janković captured the DFS Classic title in Birmingham, beating top-seeded Maria Sharapova in the final. Sharapova led 3–0 in the third set before Janković rallied to win the match. This was her first career victory over Sharapova. The next week, Janković reached the final of the Ordina Open in the Netherlands and became the first player since Chris Evert in 1974 to win 50 matches in the first half of a year. Janković, suffering from a hamstring injury, lost the final to Anna Chakvetadze. At Wimbledon, Janković was the third seed but lost in the fourth round to the surprise eventual finalist Marion Bartoli, 3–6, 7–5, 6–3. In the mixed doubles competition at Wimbledon, Janković teamed with doubles specialist Jamie Murray to win the title by beating the fifth-seeded team, Jonas Björkman and Alicia Molik, in the final 6–4, 3–6, 6–1.[3]
During the North American summer hard court season, Janković reached the semifinals of the East West Bank Classic in Carson, California, but lost there to fellow Serb Ana Ivanović having held a match point. The following week, Janković reached the final of the Tier I Rogers Cup in Toronto, where she lost to Henin on Henin's sixth match point. Janković had led 4–1 in the first set and 4–2 in the second set but was unable to maintain her lead. At the US Open, Janković lost to Venus Williams in the quarterfinals 4–6, 6–1, 7–6(4).
Janković's form tailed off following the US Open. At the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic in Bali, Janković was upset in the quarterfinals by former World No. 1 Lindsay Davenport, in Davenport's first singles tournament since giving birth. The following week at the China Open in Beijing, Janković defeated Davenport but lost in the final to Hungarian teenager Ágnes Szávay after Janković had a match point in the second set.[5] Janković finished the year on a six-match losing streak, losing all three of her round-robin matches on her debut at the year-ending WTA Tour Championships in Madrid, including her seventh loss of the year to Henin. She finished the year ranked World No. 3, her first time finishing the season in the top ten.
Janković had successful nose surgery immediately after Madrid to correct a breathing problem. The surgery prevented her from practicing for three weeks.
Olympic Committee of Serbia has declared for the sportswoman of the year.[6]
2008
Janković lost in the semifinal of the Australian Open to Maria Sharapova 6–3, 6–1. In March, at the Tier I Pacific Life Open in Indian Wells, California, Janković lost in the semifinals to fellow Serb Ana Ivanović 7–6(3), 6–3. The following fortnight, Janković reached her first final of the year at the Miami Masters, losing to Serena Williams 6–1, 5–7, 6–3 after Williams was unable to convert on seven match points in the third set.[7]
Janković started the clay court season by losing in the quarterfinals of both the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, South Carolina and the Qatar Telecom German Open in Berlin. Janković then successfully defended her Tier I Internazionali BNL d'Italia title in Rome, after defeating Venus Williams in three sets in the quarterfinals, receiving a walkover from the injured Sharapova in the semifinals, and defeating French teenager Alizé Cornet in the final. This was Janković's first singles title of the year. She went in to the French Open among the favorites following the sudden retirement of four-times champion Justine Henin. However, she lost to eventual champion Ivanović 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, after leading by a break in the third set. This marked Janković's fourth defeat in four career Grand Slam semifinals. She would have become the World No. 1 had she reached the final. However, she did reach a new career-high of World No. 2 in the week following the tournament.
At Wimbledon, Janković injured her knee during her third-round match against Caroline Wozniacki.[8] Although she won that match, it visibly hindered her during her fourth round loss to Tamarine Tanasugarn. Janković would have become the World No. 1 had she reached the semifinals of the tournament.[9] However, she lost to Tamarine Tanasugarn in the fourth round 6–3, 6–2. Janković squandered two further opportunities to immediately take the World No. 1 position with losses in the semifinals of the East West Bank Classic in Los Angeles[10] to Dinara Safina and the quarterfinals of the Rogers Cup in Montreal, losing to Dominika Cibulková. Janković did eventually replace Ivanović as the World No. 1 on August 11, 2008.[11] She was the 18th woman to have been ranked World No. 1 by the Women's Tennis Association, but the first woman to have done so without ever having reached a Grand Slam final and only the third woman (the others being Amélie Mauresmo and Kim Clijsters) to have become World No. 1 without first winning a Grand Slam title.[12][13]
Janković's reign as the World No. 1 lasted only one week, after she lost in the quarterfinals of the Beijing Olympics to eventual silver-medalist Safina. This meant Ivanović reclaimed the World No. 1 position. Janković was the second seed at the US Open, where she defeated Olympic gold-medalist Elena Dementieva in the semifinals to reach her first Grand Slam final. There, she lost to fourth-seeded Serena Williams 6–4, 7–5. Janković would have re-claimed the World No. 1 position if she won the event.
Janković became the World No. 1 again during the fall in the midst of winning three consecutive tournaments. At the China Open, Janković defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–3, 6–2 to win the title. The following week, Janković played in the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, where she defeated Venus Williams in the semifinals 6–7(8), 7–5, 6–2, and Nadia Petrova in the final 6–4, 6–3. In the Kremlin Cup in Moscow, Janković defeated defending champion Dementieva in the semifinals 0–6, 6–1, 6–0 before triumphing against Vera Zvonareva in the final, 6–2, 6–4 for her third title in three weeks, the first time for a player on the WTA tour to do so since 2005.[14] As the top seed at the year-ending 2008 WTA Tour Championships held in Doha, Qatar, Janković won two of her three round-robin matches, including only the second win of her career over Ivanović. However, she lost in the semifinals, to eventual champion Venus Williams, 6–2, 2–6, 6–3, and ended the year as World No. 1. Janković was later named the ITF World Champion for her performances in 2008.[15] She won four titles during the season, the most of anyone on the tour along with Serena Williams and Safina.
Olympic Committee of Serbia has declared for the best sportswoman two years in a row.
2009
Janković started the year at the JB Group Classic, an exhibition prior to the Australian Open. She was the top seed of Team Europe. She started by winning a doubles match in which she was paired with Portuguese player Michelle Larcher de Brito. The team defeated Team Americas' World No. 6 Venus Williams and newcomer to the women's tour, Coco Vandeweghe, 6–4, 7–5. Janković then lost to Williams in singles 6–2, 6–2. Janković later withdrew from the remainder of the tournament because of illness.
Janković was seeded first at the Australian Open in Melbourne, losing to sixteenth-seeded Marion Bartoli of France in the fourth round 6–1, 6–4. Bartoli hit 34 winners compared to Janković's 17 and won 81% of her first serve points compared to Janković's 56%.[16] Janković lost her World No. 1 ranking to Serena Williams as a result.
Her next Women's Tennis Association event was the Open GDF SUEZ tournament in Paris, where she entered as a wildcard and was the second seeded player. In the first round, Janković beat Francesca Schiavone and in the second round, she beat Li Na. In the quarterfinals, she beat fifth-seeded Alizé Cornet 5–7, 6–4, 6–4 but then lost to Amélie Mauresmo in the semifinals 6–2, 0–6, 6–1.
Janković had a first round bye at the Barclays Dubai Tennis Championships, where she was seeded third. She was upset by Kaia Kanepi in the third round, 6–2, 7–5, in what she called "the worst match of my career".[17] She was the second seeded player at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, a Premier Mandatory tournament. She received a bye in the first round before losing in the second round to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6–4, 6–4. After the match, she conceded that she has been struggling with her confidence, saying "I need a lot of work".[18] Janković then lost in the second round of the next Premier Mandatory tournament, the Sony Ericsson Open in Key Biscayne, Florida, to Gisela Dulko 6–4, 7–6(5) after Janković failed to hold leads of 5–2 in the second set and 5–2 in the tiebreaker.[19]
Beginning her spring clay court season at the Andalucia Tennis Experience in Marbella, Spain, Janković defeated fifth-seeded Spaniard Carla Suárez Navarro in three sets for her first title of 2009.
Jelena Janković has won the third point for Serbia in the Fed Cup play-offs against Spain, which means the national team will play in the 2010 edition of Fed Cup World Group. Jelena beat Anabel Medina Garrigues 6–3, 3–6, 6–3 in Lleida to bring Serbia team a first ever chance to compete among the world's top-tier women's tennis teams next year. Day before Jelena Janković and Ana Ivanović won their single matches.
Janković was the defending champion at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart. Seeded third, she lost in the quarter-finals, she lost to Flavia Pennetta 2–6, 6–4, 6–4. Janković was also the defending champion at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia in Rome but lost in the quarter-finals to eventual finalist Svetlana Kuznetsova, 6–1, 7–6(3). Seeded fourth at the inaugural Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open, she advanced to the quarter-finals once again but was defeated by Patty Schnyder, 7–6(6), 6–3
Seeded fifth at the French Open, she lost to Sorana Cîrstea of Romania in the fourth round, 3–6, 6–0, 9–7, despite serving for the match in the third set at 5–4.
In her first match on grass at the AEGON International in Eastbourne, third seeded Janković lost in the first round to Russian Anna Chakvetadze, 6–7(5), 6–3, 6–2. Janković was seeded 6th at the 2009 Wimbledon Championships. She defeated Julia Görges having been trailing 5–2 in the first set. Janković then beat Iveta Benešová in the second round but lost to qualifier Melanie Oudin in the third round, 6–7, 7–5, 6–2.
At the Bank of the West Classic in California, Janković lost in the quarterfinals to eventual champion Marion Bartoli, despite having two match points. In her next tournament at the Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open in Cincinnati, Janković defeated Victoria Azarenka to advance to the quarterfinals where she disposed of Sybille Bammer. In the semi-finals, Janković defeated Elena Dementieva 7–6, 0–6, 7–6 in a match that lasted 2 hours and 45 minutes, saving four match points on her way to victory. In the final, Janković won her second title of the year, defeating World No. 1 Dinara Safina 6–4, 6–2. With the win her ranking also went back to World No. 4.
Desptite her good form leading up to the 2009 US Open, Janković's inconsistency continued as she suffered a shock second round defeat to Yaroslava Shvedova 6–3, 6–7(4), 7–6(6) despite having match points in the third set tie-break. Her ranking decreased to World No. 8.
At the 2009 Toray Pan Pacific Open, seeded seventh, Janković defeated Sabine Lisicki and Elena Vesnina in the second and third round respectively after receiving a first round bye. She defeated Marion Bartoli in the quarterfinals 6–4,6–3 and Li Na 6–4,6–3 in the semifinals. She faced Maria Sharapova in the final and retired while behind 5–2 because of an arm injury. Because of her semifinal appearance Janković received a first round bye in Beijing. She lost her opening match to home favorite Peng Shuai 4–6, 7–5, 6–2.
Her next tournament was Moscow where she was seeded second. This tournament was her last chance to qualify for Doha. She was in a battle for the last available spot at Doha along with Vera Zvonareva and Agnieszka Radwańska. However, things worked for her favor as both Zvonareva and Radwańska fell in their early rounds making Janković to be the last qualified player at Doha. She is now set to face defending champion Venus Williams in the semifinals. Janković lost her first match to Azarenka 6–2, 6–3 but bounced back defeating Safina 1–1, ret and Wozniacki 6–2, 6–2 to clinch the first berth in her group. In her second year ending championship semifinal she lost to Venus Williams 5–7, 6–3, 6–4. She ended year ranked 8th and with a 46–19 record.
2010
Janković started the 2010 season in Sydney. She lost in the first round to Ágnes Szávay, 7–5, 1–6, 5–7 having been seeded 7th for the tournament. During the Australian Open, Janković, seeded eighth, defeated opponents Monica Niculescu and Katie O'Brien in straight sets before losing to number 31-seed Alyona Bondarenko in the 3rd round.
Next, Janković represented Serbia in the 2010 Fed Cup. In her first match, she rallied from 4–6, 1–4 down to defeat Alisa Kleybanova 4–6, 6–4, 6–0. In her next Fed Cup match, she defeated reigning French Open Champion Svetlana Kuznetsova 6–3, 4–6, 6–3. In the deciding doubles match, she partnered with Ana Ivanović. Ivanović and Janković fell to Kuznetsova and Kleybanova. Her next scheduled tournament was the 2010 Dubai Tennis Championships. Having a first round bye, she defeated Aravane Rezaï 4–6, 6–4, 7–5. She then lost to Vera Zvonareva in the third round, causing her ranking to fall to 9th in the world.
Janković's next tournament was the 2010 Monterrey Open, where she was the top seed. She fell in the first round. Next, she traveled to Indian Wells, California for the 2010 BNP Paribas Open. At the tournament, she was seeded sixth and defeated Caroline Wozniacki 6–2, 6–4 to take the title.
Janković's next tournament was the 2010 Sony Ericsson Open, where she was seeded 7th. In the fourth round, she lost to Samantha Stosur 1–6, 6–7(9), ending her 8-match win streak.
Janković's next tournament was the 2010 Family Circle Cup where she was seeded second. She lost in the quarterfinals to Daniela Hantuchová.
At the Fed Cup qualifying, Janković defeated Slovakia's Magdaléna Rybáriková in her first singles match, but fell to Hantuchová in her second. Janković and Bojana Jovanovski then fell to Rybáriková and Hantuchová in the deciding doubles match.
Janković was the fourth seed at the 2010 Porsche Tennis Grand Prix. She lost against Justine Henin in the quarterfinals 6-3 6-7(4) 3-6, for the tenth time in a row.
Janković was the seventh seed at the 2010 Internazionali BNL d'Italia. In the quarterfinals she produced one of her most polished performances to thrash fourth seed Venus Williams 6–0, 6–1, with Williams suffering her heaviest loss in her career, having never won less than two games in a match. She then beat reigning World No. 1 Serena Williams in the semi-finals, after saving a match point and later being down 5–2 in the final set tie-breaker 4–6, 6–3, 7–6(5) in 2 hour and 47 minutes. As a result of defeating these two opponents, she became one of the few women in the history of women's tennis to defeat both Williams sisters in the same tournament. And first player who beat both sisters in less than 24 hours in one tournament. However, she was then shocked by unseeded María José Martínez Sánchez and lost in the final 6–7(5), 5–7. Nevertheless, her ranking increased to world No. 4.
Seeded 7th, Janković received a first round bye at the 2010 Mutua Madrileña Madrid Open and defeated compatriot Ana Ivanović 4-6 6-4 6-1 in the second round after being down 4-6 0-2. She lost in the quarter-finals to eventual champion Aravane Rezaï 5–7, 4–6.
Janković's next tournament was 2010 French Open where she was seeded No. 4. In the first round, she defeated Alicia Molik 6–0, 6–4, then Kaia Kanepi 6–2, 3–6, 6–4 in the second round, and then Alyona Bondarenko in the third round 6–4, 7–6(3). In the fourth round, she defeated Daniela Hantuchová 6–4, 6–2, who had already defeated Janković twice that year on clay. In the quarterfinals, Janković defeated Yaroslava Shvedova 7-5, 6-4, for a spot in her third semifinal at Roland Garros. Her run ended in the semifinals to Samantha Stosur, 6-1, 6-2. Two weeks later, her ranking increased to world No. 3 due to Caroline Wozniacki's first round loss at 2010 AEGON International, where she was the top seed and defending champion.
Janković then played in the 2010 Wimbledon Championships, where she was seeded No. 4 seed. She defeated hometown favorite Laura Robson 6-3 7-6 in the first round and Aleksandra Wozniak in the second round in three sets 4-6 6-2 6-4, after being down 0-2 in the final set. She then beat 28th seed Alyona Bondarenko 6-0 6-3 in their third meeting at a Grand Slam this year. Struggling with injuries, Jankovic retired trailing 21st seed Vera Zvonareva in the fourth round 6-1, 3-0. Although she retired in the fourth round, her ranking increased to World No. 2 due to Venus Williams' stunning upset in the quarterfinals to Tsvetana Pironkova, her highest ranking in almost a year and half.
Janković defeated fellow Serb Bojana Jovanovski 6-3 6-3 in the first round of the 2010 Banka Koper Slovenia Open but had to retire in her next match against Anastasiya Yakimova due to twisting her ankle while leading 6-1 2-0, and ultimately retired at 6-1 3-6 0-1. She then traveled to San Diego to play in the 2010 Southern California Open, where she was the top seed. Due to her seeding, she received a bye to the second round, but fell to Russia's Alisa Kleybanova 5-7, 2-6, despite leading 4-0 in the first set and also having 3 set points in the first set.
Jankovic then traveled to Cincinnati for the 2010 Western & Southern Financial Group Women's Open, where she was the top seed and defending champion. Due to her seed, she received a bye into the second round, where she defeated Vera Dushevina 6-4, 3-6, 6-1. In the third round, Jankovic failed to defend her title as she had a shocking upset to Akgul Amanmuradova. This will cause her ranking to fall to world #3.
Jankovic then entered 2010 Rogers Cup as the top seed. After receiving a bye in the first round, she was upset by Iveta Benesova, 7-63, 6-3 in the second round. Due to her early exit, she ranking dropped to No. 5.
Jankovic then traveled to New York to play in the 2010 US Open where she was seeded No. 4. In the first round, she defeated Simona Halep 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 and defeated Mirjana Lucic in the second round 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. She will play either Kaia Kanepi or Akgul Amanmuradova for a spot in the Round of 16. Should she win the US Open, she will once again become the No. 1 player in the world.
Playing style
Jelena Janković is often regarded as one of the fittest and toughest players in recent years of women's tennis for her great defensive abilities and footwork, which classifies her as a counterpuncher. Jelena is known for being one of the few players who can slide on all surfaces. Janković has very consistent ground strokes and likes to go down the line more often than crosscourt. Her signature shot is her two-handed backhand down the line; she hits it with excellent pace and can drive it deep for an outright winner. She also has a solid forehand and a decent net game, being able to hit effective drive, drop and swinging volleys. Her main weakness was her serve but during off season 2009-2010 she changed her serve motion to produce more power and that work out. She likes to spin it in on the first and second serve which can lead to her getting broken many times in matches. Her weakest surface is considered grass despite her DFS title. Her best surface is a fast hard court ( like US open courts) where she can use her excellent timing and speed to win matches
Personal life
Janković was the subject of the 2008 autobiographical documentary, Jelenin svet (Jelena's World),[20] featuring Justine Henin, Svetlana Kuznetsova, Ana Ivanović, Elena Dementieva and other notable players.[20]
The British press have linked Janković and Jamie Murray romantically but she has remained coy about their relationship, though she joked in interviews that she used kisses as a way of motivating the Scot.[21] In September 2008, Janković announced that she has been dating Montenegrian water polo player Mlađan Janović since August 2008.[22] The pair had been dating since the 2008 Summer Olympics.[22]
On December 5, 2007, Janković became a UNICEF National Ambassador for Serbia, for Children's Fund. "I am happy to have become a UNICEF ambassador for Serbia. This is a great honour for me and I will try to justify the role that has been given to me", she said. Janković is the second Serbian tennis star to have volunteered to help promote the rights of children and collect funds for UNICEF after Ana Ivanović became an ambassador in September.
Endorsements
Leading Chinese sportswear brand, ANTA sports, announced it has secured one of the biggest deals in women's tennis by signing Janković to exclusively wear their sports apparel, shoes and accessories world-wide.The ANTA design team from the US and Japan has worked closely with Jelena to develop a Jelena Janković range of sports products under the JJ brand. The range reflects the style, fashion and beauty of Jelena Janković while offering the performance required by the number one tennis player in the world.The partnership with Janković marks a historic deal. ANTA is the first Chinese sports brand to align with a world number one female tennis player as part of their vision to grow its presence in tennis. Before Janković had endorsed Reebok sportswear, and had her own line with them for her tournament wear. Janković also has an endorsement with Prince Sports and now uses the Prince O3 Speedport Pro White Racquet after formerly using the Prince O3 Red Racquet. She is the face of the Serbian fashion design company Mona with her own line of clothing. Janković recently signed up to endorse Aqua Viva Hydroactive Water. Her picture will appear on the bottles for a limited time[23] and she will now feature in a TV advertisement. She is also Face of new Orbit endorsement.[24]
Career statistics
Grand Slam finals
Singles: 1 (0–1)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Runner-up | 2008 | US Open | Hard |  Serena Williams |
6–4, 7–5 |
Mixed doubles: 1 (1–0)
| Outcome | Year | Championship | Surface | Partner | Opponent in the final | Score in the final |
| Winner | 2007 | Wimbledon | Grass |  Jamie Murray |
 Alicia Molik Jonas Björkman |
6–4, 3–6, 6–1 |
Grand Slam record
To prevent confusion and double counting, information in this table is updated only once a tournament or the player's participation in the tournament has concluded. This table is current through the 2010 Australian Open in Melbourne, Australia, which ended January 31, 2010.
| Tournament | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | Career SR | Career W–L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australian Open | A | A | A | 2R1 | 2R | 2R | 2R | 4R | SF | 4R | 3R | 0 / 7 | 20–8 |
| French Open | A | A | A | LQ | 1R | 1R | 3R | SF | SF | 4R | SF | 0 / 7 | 20–8 |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | LQ | 1R | 3R | 4R | 4R | 4R | 3R | 4R | 0 / 8 | 13–7 |
| US Open | A | A | LQ | LQ | 2R | 3R | SF | QF | F | 2R | 0 / 7 | 21–8 | |
| SR | 0 / 0 | 0 / 0 | 0 / 1 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 4 | 0 / 3 | 0 / 32 | N/A |
| Win-Loss hi | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 7–4 | 2–4 | 5–4 | 11–4 | 15–4 | 19–4 | 9–4 | 10-3 | N/A | 78–32 |
Awards
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See also
- Tennis performance timeline comparison (women)
- List of Wimbledon Mixed Doubles champions
- International Tennis Federation
- Jelenin svet
References
- ↑ Red Star, club's tennis history (Serbian)
- ↑ "2001 Junior Australian Open Results". Collage and Junior Tennis. 28 Januray 2001. http://www.collegeandjuniortennis.com/AustralianOpen01.htm. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Murray and Jankovic win Wimbledon Mixed title". BC Sport. 8 July 2007. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/6282720.stm. Retrieved 8 May 2010.
- ↑ Clijsters beats Janković and Crowd
- ↑ Back From The Brink in Beijing
- ↑ "Trofej OKS – Najuspešniji sportisti | Olimpijski komitet Srbije". Oks.org.rs. http://www.oks.org.rs/?page_id=462&lang=sr-latn. Retrieved 2010-08-31.
- ↑ Piers Newbury (2008-04-05). "Serena battles to fifth Miami win". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7332424.stm. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ↑ Janković hobbles to hard-fought win
- ↑ The next No. 1? Jankovic one of few to dodge upset bug
- ↑ "Defeat puts Janković bid on hold". BBC Sport. 2008-07-27. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7527434.stm. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ↑ "Janković to take number one spot". BBC Sport. 2008-08-02. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7539061.stm. Retrieved 2008-08-02.
- ↑ Liz Robbins (2005-09-11). "Finally, a Grand Slam for Clijsters". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/11/sports/tennis/11women.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1217757859-wf4AgPofpExnWHHO9ejrbA&oref=slogin. Retrieved 2008-08-03.
- ↑ "Mauresmo takes over No. 1 world tennis ranking". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, AP. 2004-09-14. http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2004/09/13/tennis-rankings040913.html. Retrieved 2008-08-03. "[Mauresmo] is only the second player to reach No. 1 in the WTA rankings without winning a Grand Slam title."
- ↑ "Jankovic Beats Zvonareva for Kremlin Cup Title". Women's Tennis Association, AP. 2008-10-12. http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2699. Retrieved 2008-10-12. "Not since this time three years ago has a woman captured titles in three straight weeks on the Tour"
- ↑ "Jankovic Named ITF World Champion". WTA website. 2008-12-17. http://www.sonyericssonwtatour.com/1/newsroom/stories/?ContentID=2834. Retrieved 2008-12-21.
- ↑ Match Statistics
- ↑ "Jankovic loses to Kanepi in Dubai". BBC Sport. 2009-02-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/7897939.stm. Retrieved 2009-02-18.
- ↑ "WTA Tour – Jankovic 'struggling with confidence'". Eurosport, Yahoo!. 2009-03-15. http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/15032009/58/wta-tour-jankovic-struggling-confidence.html. Retrieved 2009-03-16.
- ↑ Dulko upsets Jankovic; Williams sisters advance
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 Jelena's World
- ↑ Murray feeling champion about Janković's kisses
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 Zbrka.com: Jelena Jankovic ima novog decka
- ↑ Jelena Janković. "JJ and AV Hydroactive". Jelena Janković official website. http://www.jj-jelenajankovic.com/eng/news.php. Retrieved 2008-09-10.
- ↑ Jelena Janković. "Jelena is starring in a new TV commercial for Knjaz Miloš Company". Jelena Janković official website. http://www.jj-jelenajankovic.com/eng/news.php. Retrieved 2008-10-21.
External links
- Official website
- Jelena Janković on Twitter
- Jelena Janković on the Women's Tennis Association
- Jelena Janković at the International Tennis Federation
- Jelena Janković at the International Tennis Federation Junior Profile
- Jelena Janković at the Fed Cup
- Jelena Janković at the Internet Movie Database
- Fan site of Jelena Janković
- United Athletes Magazine Interview with Janković (from November 2006).
- Facebook page of Jelena Janković
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