For several generations, post-communist Europe has been known as a breeding ground for talented tennis players, several of whom have gone on to become household names around the world. Even though Slovenia is not among the countries closely associated with tennis, one female player did make it to the very top, winning a singles Grand Slam title almost four decades ago.

Born in Maribor in 1956, Mima Jaušovec was something special even as a teenager. She was a supremely talented tennis player, and won the both the French and he British Junior Tennis Championships, as well as the prestigious Orange Bowl in Miami Beach. Then, in 1977, she defeated Florența Mihai at Roland Garros, becoming Yugoslavia’s first singles Grand Slam winner. Almost overnight, Jaušovec became of Yugoslavia’s most celebrated athletes and a national celebrity.

In 1978 and 1983, she returned to the Roland Garros finals, but her quest for a second Grand Slam title would remain elusive. Virginia Ruzici and Chris Evert, whom she met in the finals, proved too difficult for Jaušovec, who would never claim another Grand Slam singles title again.

She did, however, win the doubles title at Roland Garros in 1978 with her partner Virginia Ruzici of Romania, which whom she also later made it to the Wimbledon finals. Jaušovec remained one of the most respected tennis players anywhere and was ranked the sixth in the world in the early 1980s. She held her own in matches among the world’s all-time best, including Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova, and was named Slovenia’s best female athlete four separate years.

After completing her career in 1988, Jaušovec went on to coach the Slovenian women’s tennis team. She also briefly dabbled in politics, even though her bid to become an MP turned out to be unsuccessful. In 2012 she was admitted into the Slovenian Sports Hall of Fame, and to his day, her successes on the courts remain unmatched by any other Slovenian-born player, male or female alike.