A great tennis player can come from anywhere in the world, and that’s one of the truly wonderful things about the game. When the world’s tournaments start up, there are some nationalist sentiments that get bandied about, as happens in any kind of major competition. The origins of the players are always subjects of conversation, too, and that’s to be expected. What’s most interesting and encouraging is that the world sport does open up doors and portals from all parts of the planet. It’s true that when the French Open scores come out this year, there will be some talk about the countries that were represented well last year, and there will very likely be some talk about Serbia.

Born in Belgrade, then Yugoslavia, and now Serbia, Jelena Jankovic is currently the number 7 player in the world. Serena Williams will be her biggest challenge this year, and she’ll be everyone’s biggest challenge, the way things have been shaping up. But this daughter of economists has some very special talents to bring to the court, and it will be exciting to see how she plays. One of her strengths has always been an ability to negotiate surfaces, so France should be a good opportunity for her to show her stuff, and she’s also set for the challenges of grass at Wimbledon tennis .

She’s certainly not the first Slav to make it to the top ten, as this year’s list has a few Russians joining her, but it is unusual for Serbia. A difficult history has marked her home, especially in her own lifetime, and it’s always a kind of grace note when someone makes it to the world stage. She might be able to remind us, more than anyone, about the writings of Ivo Andric , in ways that we might listen. The eyes of the world are certainly on the courts. It’s a beautiful time to let the minutiae of global politics recede as the gracefulness of a double backhand captures our immediate attention.