Jelena Jankovic to represent Serbia at Specialised Expo 2027 Belgrade
Jelena Jankovic spent the best part of two decades representing Serbia everywhere tennis took her. Soon, she will be helping the rest of the world find its way to Belgrade.
The former World No. 1 has been named an official brand ambassador for Specialised Expo 2027 Belgrade, joining an international group that includes Usain Bolt, Jackie Chan and badminton great Lin Dan.
It is a fitting next chapter for Jankovic, who reached No. 1 in 2008, won 15 WTA singles titles and carried Serbia’s flag at four Olympic Games. For years, she took her home country with her across the tennis calendar. This time, the assignment works in reverse.
"Throughout my career, I have always tried to represent my country with great love, pride and responsibility," Jankovic said. "I am especially happy that this time I will not be traveling out into the world, but that the world will be coming to us, to Serbia."
The expo will run from May 15 to Aug. 15, 2027, under the theme "Play for Humanity – Sport and Music for All." More than 140 nations are expected to take part, with roughly four million visitors projected over its 93 days.
For Jankovic, whose tennis career gave her a front-row seat to the way sport can cut across language and borders, that message is personal.
"Before children learn about borders, politics or differences, they learn to play," Jankovic said. "Sport has been my own language of connection for most of my life. I have stood across the net from people who spoke different languages, came from completely different cultures and had completely different life experiences -- and yet, on a tennis court, we understood one another."
As work continues on the expo site in Surcin, Jankovic gives the event a familiar face with a genuine connection to the city and country hosting it. It is also a chance for one of Serbia’s most recognizable athletes to show another side of Belgrade -- not simply the place she came from, but a city ready to welcome the world.