Famous Slovenian People

Slavoj Žižek is a Slovenian philosopher whose works in subjects, such as continental philosophy, Marxism, Hegelianism, and psychoanalysis, has gained him international influence. Often dubbed a celebrity philosopher and Elvis of cultural theory, Žižek was named in Foreign Policy's Top 100 Global Thinkers list in 2012. His work has had an impact on widespread public audiences and academic.

A former model as well as timepiece and jewellery designer, Melania Trump is the wife of 45th US President Donald Trump and the current First Lady of the United States of America. The Slovenian-American is only the second foreign born and the first naturalized citizen to hold the title.

Luka Dončić is a Slovenian basketball player best known for his association with Dallas Mavericks with which he has won the NBA All-Star thrice so far. He is also known for leading Real Madrid to the EuroLeague title in 2018. Luka Dončić is also an important player for the Slovenian national team. 

Primož Roglič is a Slovenian racing cyclist who in 2017 became the first cyclist from his country to win a stage at Tour de France. He then went on to win the Vuelta a España for three successive years. Primož Roglič achieved international recognition at the 2020 Olympic Games where he won the gold medal in the time trial event.

Jan Oblak is a Slovenian football player best known for his role as the goalkeeper and captain for the Slovenia national team. He also plays for the popular Spanish club Atlético Madrid. A tall, athletic, and strong goalkeeper, Jan Oblak is renowned for his agility, quick reflexes, and speed. He is often counted among the best goalkeepers in the world. 

Goran Dragić is a Slovenian basketball player best known for his accomplishments in the NBA. An NBA All-Star, Dragić has played for popular teams like Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, and Brooklyn Nets. He is also credited with leading his national team to its maiden FIBA EuroBasket title in 2017. The same year, he was named Slovenian Sportsman of the Year. 

Rade Šerbedžija is a Croatian actor, musician, and director. One of the best known Croatian actors of the 1970s and 1980s, Šerbedžija has also achieved international fame by appearing in popular films like Mission: Impossible 2, X-Men: First Class, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:Part 1. Rade Šerbedžija is considered one of the finest Croatian actors of his generation.

Merlene Ottey is a Jamaican-Slovenian retired track and field sprinter. She represented Jamaica in international events for 24 years before representing Slovenia for 10 years. In 1993, she clocked 21.87 seconds to set the world indoor record for 200 metres; she has been holding that record ever since. Merlene Ottey is also known for winning several medals at Olympic Games. 

Tadej Pogačar is a Slovenian cyclist best known for his bronze medal-winning performance in the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. He also won the prestigious Tour de France in 2020 and 2021, achieving enormous fame among cycling enthusiasts around the world. Tadej Pogačar is the first Slovenian and the second-youngest winner of Tour de France.  

Anže Kopitar is a Slovene ice hockey player and the current captain for the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL. Since becoming the first Slovene to play in the National Hockey League in 2006, Kopitar has made his presence felt in the professional ice hockey league. In 2012 and 2014, Anže Kopitar helped the Kings win the prestigious Stanley Cup.

Josip Iličić is a Slovenian football player best known for his dribbling skills, technique, and creativity. An important player for the Slovenia national team, Iličić was adjudged Slovenian Footballer of the Year in 2019. Josip Iličić is the oldest player to score four goals in a knockout match at the Champions League.

Sasha Vujačić is a Slovenian retired professional basketball player best known for his association with the Los Angeles Lakers. He won the 2009 and 2010 NBA championship titles with the Lakers. Sasha Vujačić is also credited with helping the Auxilium Torino win the 2018 Italian Basketball Cup.

Tina Maze is a Slovenian retired alpine ski racer best known for winning two gold medals at the 2014 Olympics. Maze also won two silver medals at the 2010 Olympic Games and is considered the most successful Slovenian ski racer. Maze also won four gold medals at the World Championships and was named Slovenian Sportswoman of the Year six times.

Anna Muzychuk is a Ukrainian chess player who became only the fourth woman in the history of chess to achieve a FIDE rating of 2600 or more. Muzychuk, who attained the Grandmaster title in 2012, is a three-time fast chess world champion. 

Peter Prevc is a Slovenian ski jumper best known for winning the Ski Jumping World Cup overall title in 2016. He is also known for winning gold and a silver medal at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. A former world record holder, Peter Prevc was adjudged Slovenian Sportsman of the Year on four occasions. 

Samir Handanović is a Slovenian football player who plays as a goalkeeper. The current captain of the popular Italian club, Inter Milan, Handanović has been playing for the team since 2012, winning tournaments like Coppa Italia, Supercoppa Italiana, and Serie A. Counted among the best goalkeepers of his generation, Samir Handanović was named Slovenian Footballer of the Year thrice.

Anthony Randolph is an American-Slovenian basketball player who was part of the Slovenian national team that win the 2017 EuroBasket  title . He is also known for his association with Real Madrid, winning the 2017 Spanish Cup, 2018 EuroLeague, and three Spanish Supercups with the team.

Kevin Kampl is a Slovenian professional football player who plays for the Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. Although he was eligible to play for either Germany or Slovenia, because of his dual citizenship, Kevin Kampl chose to play for Slovenia early in his career. In 2013 and 2014, he was named Slovenian Footballer of the Year.

Tamara Zidansek is a Slovenian tennis player who has won numerous singles titles on the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour. Her best Grand Slam result, so far, came at the 2021 Roland-Garros where she qualified for the semifinals, eventually losing to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. Tamara Zidansek has also won two WTA 125 singles titles and one WTA Tour singles title.

Slovenia’s national poet, France Prešeren was one of the pioneers of Romanticism in Europe. He also penned the first ballad and epic of his country. Though he initially studied law, he later soared to fame with works such as Sonetni venec and brought in elements of ghazal and pattern poetry to Slovenian literature.

Urška Žigart is a Slovenian racing cyclist who won the Slovenian National Time Trial Championships in 2020. Urška Žigart, who currently rides for Team BikeExchange–Jayco, made headlines in 2019 and early 2020s for dating Tadej Pogačar, who has won two consecutive editions of the Tour de France so far (2020 and 2021).

Kaja Juvan is a Slovenian tennis player who has won seven ITF singles titles so far. Kaja Juvan turned professional when she was barely 16 and won her first WTA Tour doubles title at the age of 20. She also competes in major tournaments like Grand Slams and the Billie Jean King Cup.

Duncan Haldane is a British-born physicist who is currently serving as the Sherman Fairchild University Professor of Physics at Princeton University. He has made numerous fundamental contributions to condensed matter physics. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. In 2016, he received the Nobel Prize in Physics along with David J. Thouless and J. Michael Kosterlitz. 

Beno Udrih is a Slovenian retired basketball player who played in the NBA for popular teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, and Sacramento Kings. While playing for the Spurs in 2005 and 2007, Udrih won two NBA titles. Beno Udrih also won two Slovenian League titles and three Slovenian Cups during his playing career.

Rene Krhin is a Slovenian football player who achieved popularity in 2009-10 as a member of Internazionale or Inter Milan which won the Serie A, Coppa Italia, and UEFA Champions League in 2010. Rene Krhin also played for the Slovenia national football team from 2009 to 2019.

Martin Strel is a Slovenian swimmer who holds Guinness World Records for swimming the Mississippi River, the Danube River, the Amazon River, and the Yangtze River. One of the most famous endurance athletes of his generation, Martin Strel claims to swim the entire length of rivers for peace, friendship, and clean waters.

Popular Slovenian author Jela Krečič has penned columns for Delo, Slovenia’s largest newspaper. Known for her research on films, TV, and aesthetics, she soared to fame with her books The Book of Others and None Like Her. She also made headlines for her 2013 exclusive interview with Julian Assange.

Klemen Prepelič is a Slovenian basketball player who represents Valencia Basket at the Liga ACB. Prepelič also plays for the Slovenian national basketball team and was instrumental in Slovenia's triumph at EuroBasket 2017 where they won the gold medal. Klemen Prepelič has also represented his country at other important tournaments, inclucing the Olympics.

Jaka Blažič is a Slovenian basketball player who helped the national team win the gold medal at EuroBasket 2017 in Turkey. Apart from playing for the Slovenia national team, Jaka Blažič also plays for clubs and is currently an important member of the Turkish club, Bahçeşehir Koleji.

Emir Preldžić is a Bosnian-Turkish basketball player who has played for the Turkish national basketball team. A versatile player, Preldžić can play as a power forward, point guard, and shooting guard, although he predominantly plays at the small forward position. Emir Preldžić has also played for the Slovenian national basketball team.   

Jože Plečnik was a Slovene architect best remembered for designing the Slovene National and University Library building. Plečnik had a great impact on the architecture of Ljubljana, Prague, and Vienna. Jože Plečnik's impact on the capital city of Slovenia is so great that it is often compared to the impact Antoni Gaudí i Cornet had on the city of Barcelona.

Robert Koren is a Slovenian retired football player who played for the Slovenia national football team from 2003 to 2011. Robert Koren is also known for his association with popular clubs like West Bromwich Albion with which he won the 2008 Football League Championship title. In 2006, Robert Koren received the Kniksen Award for Midfielder of the Year.

Boštjan Cesar is a Slovenian retired football player who represented his national team at the FIFA World Cup in 2010. With over 100 appearances at the international level, Boštjan Cesar is Slovenia's most capped player. He also won the Croatian Cup and the Croatian Supercup between 2001 and 2004.

Zoran Dragić is a Slovenian basketball player who plays for the Slovenian national basketball team. A three-time Slovenian League champion, Zoran Dragić has also won the Italian Cup, Turkish Cup, Slovenian Cup, two Italian Super Cups, and two Slovenian Supercups.

Valter Birsa is a Slovenian former football player who played for the Slovenia national football team from 2006 to 2018. In 2010, he was adjudged Slovenian Footballer of the Year. Valter Birsa is also known for his association with Sochaux for which he won the Coupe de France in 2007.

Slovenian tennis player and naturalized Briton since 2015, Aljaž Bedene began his career in his birth country before moving to England in 2008. He represented Great Britain in the Davis Cup from 2015 to 2017. However from 2018, barred from representing Great Britain due to technical reasons, he started representing Slovenia in Davis Cup once more.  

Vinko Bogataj is a Slovenian painter and retired ski jumper. He achieved popularity when footage of him crashing was played on ABC's Wide World of Sports. After retiring, Vinko Bogataj worked as a ski instructor, painter, and forklift operator. He achieved popularity again, this time as a painter, as his works have won awards in both the US and Europe.

Matej Mohorič is a Slovenian road racing cyclist who won the national championship title in 2018 and 2021. He is also known for winning two individual stages at the 2021 Tour de France. Matej Mohorič currently rides for Team Bahrain Victorious.