Sport
Serbian Sports Legends Every Visitor Should Know
The names you’ll hear in every Belgrade café, from tennis and basketball to football and water polo.
Quick answer
Serbia punches far above its size in sport. Know these names and you’ll have a conversation starter anywhere in the country.
Quick facts
- Tennis
- Novak Djoković, Ana Ivanović, Jelena Janković
- Basketball
- Nikola Jokić, Vlade Divac, Dejan Bodiroga
- Football
- Dragan Džajić, Dragan Stojković Piksi
- Water polo
- Filip Filipović
- Last checked
- 28 Oct 2026
Tennis
- Novak Djoković: 24 Grand Slam singles titles, Olympic gold 2024
- Ana Ivanović: French Open 2008
- Jelena Janković: world No. 1
Basketball
- Nikola Jokić: NBA champion and three-time MVP
- Vlade Divac: NBA pioneer and Hall of Famer
- Dejan Bodiroga: European champion and legend
Football
- Dragan Džajić: Red Star’s greatest winger
- Dragan Stojković Piksi: Red Star star, later national team coach
- The Red Star 1991 team that won the European Cup
Water polo and volleyball
- Filip Filipović: water polo great, multiple Olympic gold medallist
- Serbian women’s volleyball team: world champions in 2018 and 2022
Tip: To feel what these names mean here, go to a live game. A EuroLeague night in Belgrade tells you more than any museum.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the most famous Serbian athlete?
Novak Djoković, followed closely by Nikola Jokić.
Keep planning
SportNovak Djoković and Tennis in SerbiaThe story of the greatest tennis player of his era, and what tennis fans can see in Belgrade.
SportSerbia, the Basketball NationWhy a country of under 7 million keeps producing NBA stars and medals, and where to feel it as a visitor.
SportRed Star 1991: When a Belgrade Club Won EuropeThe night in Bari, the Marakana, and why every Serbian football fan knows that team by heart.
.jpg){kind=link}
