
The ceremony drew to a close around midnight in Japan as a spectacular firework display illuminated the Tokyo night sky. With no fans in attendance and a reduced number of athletes joining the parade, the Tokyo Olympics' Opening Ceremony officially kicked off the Summer Games on Friday as tennis star Naomi Osaka lit the cauldron. Serbian men's water polo team qualified for the Olympics by winning the gold medal and securing an outright berth at the 2019 FINA World League Super Final in Belgrade.Fireworks go off after Naomi Osaka lit the Olympic cauldron. Main article: Water polo at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Men's tournament Referees: Daniele Rapisarda (ITA), Patricia Rolf (USA) Referees: Hernán Casamiquela (ARG), Susana Rodríguez (ESP) Referees: Paulo Turci (BRA), Evgeny Makshanov (RUS) Referees: Evgeny Makshanov (RUS), Sumie Myoi (JPN) Referees: Fabrice Collados (FRA), Wojciech Maroszek (POL) Referees: Hamid Al-Rousi (UAE), Sumie Myoi (JPN) Referees: Patricia Rolf (USA), Juraj Mokrý (SVK) Referees: Kang Joo-hee (KOR), Evgeny Makshanov (RUS) 90) did so for the women's singles based on their WTA World Rankings of June 13, 2021.

47) qualified directly as one of the top 56 eligible players in the ATP World Rankings, while Nina Stojanović (world no. 1 Novak Djokovic and Miomir Kecmanović (world no. Beijing 2008 bronze medalist and world No. Serbia entered five tennis players into the Olympic tournament. Main articles: Tennis at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Tennis at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification Serbian swimmers further achieved qualifying standards in the following events (up to a maximum of 2 swimmers in each event at the Olympic Qualifying Time (OQT), and potentially 1 at the Olympic Selection Time (OST)): Athlete Main articles: Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Swimming at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification Serbian shooters achieved quota places for the following events by virtue of their best finishes at the 2018 ISSF World Championships, the 2019 ISSF World Cup series, European Championships or Games, and European Qualifying Tournament, as long as they obtained a minimum qualifying score (MQS) by June 6, 2021. Main articles: Shooting at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Shooting at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification Qualification Legend: FA=Final A (medal) FB=Final B (non-medal) FC=Final C (non-medal) FD=Final D (non-medal) FE=Final E (non-medal) FF=Final F (non-medal) SA/B=Semifinals A/B SC/D=Semifinals C/D SE/F=Semifinals E/F QF=Quarterfinals R=Repechage Shooting Meanwhile, the women's single sculls rower added one boat for the Serbian roster with a bronze-medal finish in the A-final at the 2021 European Continental Qualification Regatta in Varese, Italy.

Serbia qualified one boat in the men's pair for the Games by topping the B-final and securing seventh out of eleven berths available at the 2019 FISA World Championships in Ottensheim, Austria. Main articles: Rowing at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Rowing at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification 2017 world champion Nemanja Majdov (men's middleweight, 90 kg), Rio 2016 Olympian Aleksandar Kukolj (men's half-heavyweight, 100 kg), Milica Nikolić (women's extra-lightweight, 48 kg), and Marica Perišić (women's lightweight, 57 kg) were selected among the top 18 judoka of their respective weight classes based on the IJF World Ranking List of June 28, 2021, while Anja Obradović (women's haf-middleweight, 63 kg) accepted a continental berth from Europe as the nation's top-ranked judoka outside of direct qualifying position.

Serbia qualified five judoka (two men and three women) for each of the following weight classes at the Games. Main articles: Judo at the 2020 Summer Olympics and Judo at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Qualification Team roster Serbia women's national basketball team – 2020 Summer Olympics roster

Serbia women's basketball team qualified for the Olympics as one of two highest-ranked eligible squads from group A at the Belgrade meet of the 2020 FIBA Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Main article: Basketball at the 2020 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament
