Iva Jovic, the 'teenager' who amazes the world and looks to Djokovic to reach the elite

Carlos Navarro | 23 Jan 2026 | 20.30

This is Iva Jovic, who at 18 already menaces the WTA circuit. Source: Getty

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A tennis prodigy who possesses an extraordinary maturity totally inappropriate for her age. The definition may sound exaggerated, but it perfectly fits what Iva Jovic represents for the WTA circuit, a true earthquake whose progression promises to reach the heights of a great player. The 2026 Australian Open is marking her absolute consecration in the elite, breaking barriers reserved for the best: after crossing paths with a top-10 player like Jasmine Paolini, only Yulia Putintseva stands between her and her first Grand Slam quarterfinals... at just 18 years old.

Born in 2007, Jovic's story hides many sacrifices, travels with a small component of chance, and a destiny: being linked to racket sports. As you can imagine from her name, despite being born in the United States, her roots are Balkan: her father was born in Leskovac, a small town in Serbia, and her mother in Split, Croatia. Both emigrated to the United States in search of a better future, albeit thanks to a stroke of luck: the mother received the coveted green card, necessary to process her presence in the USA, through the lottery. Yes, as you hear it: this twist of fate pushed her parents to get married (they were just a couple back then) in order to move to North America, now as a married couple, and settle there.

Pharmacists, Jovic's parents sacrificed much of their adulthood in pursuit of a better future. They settled in California, where they gave birth to Iva and her sister Mia, who now plays at UCLA. "I think I have learned a lot from them about what hard work means, about building a better life when you come from such a small country." A curiosity: Iva's parents did not give up their origins and 'forced' Iva and Mia to speak Serbian at home, which allows the American to be bilingual and have a curious connection to her roots. "My parents are much funnier in their native language, really. When I was little, my mother used to tease me: she told me that since she couldn't speak English, I had to speak Serbian with her."

Jovic explains Djokovic's influence on her love for tennis and reveals his role in her great journey at the 2026 Australian Open

Thus, the tennis bug settled early in the Jovic household. Novak Djokovic, understandably, played a fundamental role: an idol in Serbia, Iva grew up watching his battles with the rest of the Big Three, admiring his work ethic, and gradually falling in love with tennis, while starting to hear about another reference named Monica Seles. Both have been her biggest idols, as she confessed some time ago, but Nole's presence in Melbourne, who gave her great advice to defeat Paolini, has been an even more differential factor in her path to the second week.

"You always think about the moment of meeting your idols; even for many people, it can be a bit disheartening because maybe they are not as friendly or open as you expected. It happens many times; it's not like what you see on TV... but I think Novak is even more attentive and kind than the cameras show. Meeting him was incredible. He is smart, sharp, you can really tell that he wants to help the younger generations. I am very grateful for his advice. I hope to talk to him many more times (smiles)."

From California to the world. Jovic rapidly progressed in her formative stages, becoming the champion of the Orange Bowl U14, the U.S. Sub18 Championships, and dozens of other tournaments that positioned her as one of those candidates to approach the elite sooner rather than later. Along the way, her projection and eagerness to compete with the best pushed her to leave behind the university path: Iva knew that her potential could not wait any longer to be showcased to the world.

"The decision to turn professional was almost a 50/50, but I realized that I was going to give up a lot of money and many points if I didn't. I am happy; I believe it was the right decision, without a doubt." She herself speaks of the key to her success being consistency: maintaining a great base level every day and adding small aspects, small details, constantly. It is definitely what stands out most in her game: her fluency in striking, her ability to be everywhere and open up the court, the maturity and composure she shows on the court despite her young age and experience.

The prodigy with Serbian roots (she admits to visiting her parents' country at least once a year, visiting her dad's village and enjoying the Sava River coastline in Belgrade, her favorite spot in the city) is already here. She belongs to the club of the best, and Australia, where her idol made history so many times, seemed like the perfect place to unleash her true potential. What is Iva Jovic's ceiling? How lucky we are to have plenty of time to find out.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Iva Jovic, la "teenager" que asombra al mundo y se fija en Djokovic para llegar a la élite

Iva Jovic