Dušan Lajović Bio
Dušan Lajović is a Serbian professional tennis player who has spent more than a decade competing on the ATP Tour. Born on 30 June 1990 in Belgrade, he developed a game built around a powerful one-handed backhand, dependable clay-court footwork, and a heavy kick serve. Over the course of his career, he has lifted two ATP singles titles, captured two ATP doubles crowns, and climbed as high as world No. 23 in singles in April 2019. He is also a familiar face for Serbian fans in team events such as the Davis Cup and the ATP Cup.
Standing 1.83 m tall and playing right-handed, Lajović has become one of the more recognizable Serbian players of his generation, working alongside top Serbian contemporaries like Novak Djokovic. While he has never won a Grand Slam, he reached the fourth round of the Australian Open in 2021 and the French Open in 2014. Off the court, he lives in Stara Pazova and has long been in a relationship with Serbian doctor Lidija Mikic.
Early Life and Background
Dušan Lajović was born in Belgrade, which at the time of his birth was part of the Socialist Republic of Serbia within the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He grew up in a Serbian family headed by his parents, Marina and Dragiša Lajović. Like many Serbian children of his generation, he was introduced to tennis at a young age, picking up a racket for the first time at the age of seven.
His earliest competitive steps came at T.K. Stara Pazova, a local tennis club in the town that would later become his long-term home. He later moved to the more established T.K. Partizan Belgrade, where he sharpened his baseline game and refined the one-handed backhand that would become his trademark shot. These formative years in Serbian club tennis laid the foundation for his transition to the international junior and professional circuits.
Path to Professional Tennis
Lajović turned professional in June 2007, when he was just 17 years old. He began by grinding through the ITF Futures and ATP Challenger circuits, where he built match experience and gradually moved up the rankings. By 2011, his steady progress was rewarded with appearances at ATP-level events, including a quarterfinal run at the St. Petersburg Open, which signaled his readiness for higher-level competition.
In 2012, he began working with coach Boris Bošnjaković and made his Davis Cup debut for Serbia. That same year, he picked up Challenger titles in Orbetello and Samarkand, confirming that the move to the upper tiers of the tour was within reach. The following year brought one of the most pressure-packed moments of his early career when he was called upon to play in the 2013 Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic, replacing the injured Janko Tipsarević.
Dušan Lajović Career
Early Career (2007–2011)
For the first few years of his professional career, Lajović spent the bulk of his time on the Futures and Challenger circuits, learning how to travel, manage his schedule, and handle a variety of playing conditions. These lower-tier events were crucial for his development, giving him the chance to win matches in different countries and against a wide range of styles. He also represented Serbia in the World Team Cup in 2010 and 2011, valuable team-tournament experience that later paid off in bigger competitions.
By 2011, Lajović had earned direct entry into ATP main draws, qualifying for the Kremlin Cup and reaching the quarterfinals at the St. Petersburg Open later that year. Those results pushed him closer to the top 100 and gave him confidence heading into the next phase of his career.
ATP Breakthrough (2012–2015)
The 2012 season marked Lajović’s transition to the upper levels of the ATP Tour. He made his Davis Cup debut for Serbia and reached his first Challenger finals, eventually winning the Samarkand Challenger title. In 2013, his career accelerated dramatically when he was thrust into the spotlight of the Davis Cup final against the Czech Republic. Although he lost both of his rubbers, his composure under extreme pressure drew praise from teammate Novak Djokovic, who highlighted how well Lajović had handled the biggest match of his life.
2014 brought his Grand Slam main-draw debut at the Australian Open, where he reached the second round, followed by a fourth-round showing at the French Open, where he fell in straight sets to eventual champion Rafael Nadal. A year later, in 2015, Lajović won his first ATP doubles title at the Istanbul Open, partnering with Radu Albot, a milestone that confirmed his versatility on both sides of the ball.
Climbing the Rankings (2016–2018)
Between 2016 and 2018, Lajović made steady progress against some of the biggest names in the sport. In 2016, he reached his first tour-level semifinal at the Brasil Open, beating then-world No. 20 Benoît Paire en route. The following year, he reached the fourth round of the Indian Wells Masters and helped Serbia reach the Davis Cup semifinal, defeating Lucas Pouille in a key rubber.
The 2018 season was particularly strong on clay. After a brief return to the Challenger level, where he won the Open Region Guadeloupe, Lajović reached the quarterfinals of the Madrid Masters, beating Juan Martín del Potro and Richard Gasquet before falling to Kevin Anderson. By October 2018, he had cracked the top 50 for the first time, a significant marker in his career development.
Top 25 and First ATP Title (2019)
The 2019 season was the breakthrough year Lajović and his supporters had been waiting for. He opened the year by reaching a career-high ranking of No. 45 and picked up his third career top-10 win at the Miami Open, beating Kei Nishikori. Then came the run of his life at the Monte-Carlo Masters, where he reached his first ATP Masters 1000 final without dropping a set, beating Dominic Thiem, David Goffin, and Daniil Medvedev before falling to Fabio Fognini in the championship match.
That summer, Lajović captured his first ATP singles title at the Croatia Open in Umag, defeating Attila Balázs in straight sets. By April 29, 2019, he had risen to a career-high world No. 23, capping off the best year of his career to that point.
ATP Cup Champion and 2020s (2020–2023)
In 2020, Lajović played a central role in Serbia’s historic run to the inaugural ATP Cup title, winning four of his six matches and helping his country become the first nation to hold the Davis Cup, World Team Cup, and ATP Cup at the same time. He backed that up in 2021 with another fourth-round Grand Slam appearance at the Australian Open, where he pushed Alexander Zverev before being eliminated. He also scored a memorable win over then-world No. 3 Daniil Medvedev at the Rotterdam Open, preventing Medvedev from reaching No. 2 in the rankings.
By 2022, Lajović had slipped outside the top 100 for the first time in a decade, but he rebounded in 2023 with a stunning run at the Banja Luka Open, where he defeated world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals and went on to beat Andrey Rublev in the final for his second ATP singles title. Later that year, he also recorded his 100th career clay-court win at the Madrid Open, becoming only the second Serbian man in the Open Era, after Djokovic, to reach that milestone.
Recent Years (2024–2025)
The 2024 season saw Lajović continue to compete on the ATP Tour, with quarterfinal appearances at the Argentina Open, the Rio Open, and the Chile Open during the South American Golden Swing. He also reached his second career semifinal above the ATP 250 level at the Barcelona Open Banc Sabadell, an ATP 500 event, and made his Olympic debut representing Serbia at the 2024 Paris Games.
By 2026, his singles ranking had slipped to No. 138, reflecting a stretch of inconsistent results and the rising depth of the ATP field. He continued to base himself in Stara Pazova, training and competing primarily on the European clay swing.
Driving Style and Strengths
Lajović is widely regarded as a clay-court specialist, although he is comfortable on hard courts as well. His strongest weapons are his one-handed backhand, heavy topspin groundstrokes, and an effective kick serve that pushes opponents off the baseline. He has long worked on the psychological side of his game as well, learning from high-pressure Davis Cup rubbers how to handle the biggest stages in tennis.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the defining moments of Lajović’s career are his 2013 Davis Cup final appearance at age 23, his run to the 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters final, his first ATP title at the 2019 Croatia Open, his role in Serbia’s 2020 ATP Cup triumph, and his 2023 victory over Novak Djokovic on the way to the Banja Luka title. Reaching the top 25 in April 2019 and recording his 100th clay-court win in 2023 are also major personal milestones.
Dušan Lajović Career Wins
Over the course of his professional career, Dušan Lajović has won two ATP singles titles and two ATP doubles titles, along with multiple Challenger trophies at the lower levels of professional tennis. He has reached one Masters 1000 final and has qualified for the main draws of every Grand Slam, with two fourth-round appearances to his name. His 2-1 record in ATP singles finals highlights a strong conversion rate when he has reached the championship match of a tour event.
ATP Tour Highlights
Lajović’s first ATP singles title came at the 2019 Croatia Open in Umag, where he beat Attila Balázs in straight sets. His second singles title arrived in 2023 at the Banja Luka Open, a tournament he won by defeating Andrey Rublev in the final after knocking out world No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the quarterfinals. He has also reached one Masters 1000 final, the 2019 Monte-Carlo Masters, where he fell to Fabio Fognini, and he has lifted two ATP doubles titles during his career.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the ATP Tour, Lajović has captured several Challenger-level titles, including wins in Orbetello, Samarkand, and Guadeloupe, as well as a run of Challenger finals in 2022 that included the Maia Challenger. He has also been a dependable member of Serbia’s Davis Cup team since 2012 and a key contributor to the country’s 2020 ATP Cup victory.
Dušan Lajović Family
Family Background and Personal Life
Dušan Lajović was born to parents Marina and Dragiša Lajović in Belgrade. While his parents are not public figures, their support during his early years in Stara Pazova and Belgrade helped shape his path into professional tennis. He began playing the sport at age seven, and his family has remained a steady presence throughout his travels on the tour.
Personal Life
Lajović has been in a long-term relationship with Serbian medical doctor Lidija Mikic. The couple has not publicly disclosed plans for marriage, and no children have been reported. He lives in Stara Pazova, Serbia, where he has previously owned a coffee shop, reflecting his ties to the town where he first picked up a tennis racket.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season was a transitional year for Dušan Lajović as he worked to climb back toward the top half of the ATP rankings. Competing primarily on the ATP Tour and select Challenger events, he focused on the European clay swing, where his game is best suited. He posted a mix of early exits and deep runs at smaller events, with steady work behind the scenes to refine his baseline game and conditioning.
On the team front, Lajović remained a candidate for Serbia’s Davis Cup squad, contributing whenever called upon and helping develop younger Serbian players through training block sessions. His experience from the 2013 Davis Cup final and the 2020 ATP Cup-winning team continued to make him a valuable locker-room presence even as his singles ranking hovered outside the top 100.
Looking ahead, Lajović’s focus is on regaining his form on clay, defending his position in ATP main draws, and staying healthy enough to compete for another ATP title. With his proven track record at Challenger and tour level, he remains a respected veteran of Serbian tennis and a player capable of producing upsets against higher-ranked opponents.
