It was only a month ago e.gsewed 18 years old and in Melbourne delighted tennis and became the first female story of the first Grand Slam of the season.
Iva Jović, whose parents are from Leskovac and Split, arrived in Melbourne as the 27th player in the WTA rankings. She was born in California, Los Angeles.
It was expected that the first Grand Slam quarterfinal was too much of a challenge for a young player like Iva Jović. And when you also find out that you will play against the first seed and two-time champion of the tournament, Arina Sabalenka – the challenge is twice as great.
But for 18-year-old Jovic, it was the opportunity of a lifetime.
“I am in [četvrtfinalu]which is unbelievable for me,” Jovic said ahead of Tuesday’s match. “I’m going to play against one of the best players at this stage of the tournament. That’s what you want. I just believe in the level of play I’ve shown, and I hope that’s enough.”
Jović’s positive way of thinking is what forms the foundation of a future top-10 player. And considering her meteoric rise during 2025 – when she advanced by 164 places on the WTA list since the last Australian Open – few will be surprised if during the 2026 season she enters the very top of the world from the current 27th place.
A star in the making
This won’t be the last time we’ll be seeing Iva Jovic on RLA.@wwos @espn @tntsports @wowowtennis #AO26 pic.twitter.com/dXh8LBUTbp
— #AusOpen (@AustralianOpen) January 27, 2026
Jovic and Sabalenka met for the first time on Tuesday at Rod Laver Arena. Sabalenka celebrated with the result 6:3, 6:0 and thus continued her winning streak, advancing to her fourth consecutive Australian Open semifinal.
Jovic responded in kind in the first set, extending it to almost an hour and forcing Sabalenka to use three set points. The young American’s serve remains one of her strongest weapons; in the first set, she recorded an ace serve and won 65 percent of the points on the first serve. During the whole match, she made only one double fault – a proof of how stable her serve is.
“I think I went into the match not knowing exactly how it would look in reality, because I had never played against her before,” Jovic said.
“It was our first meeting. I think she showed an outstanding level, which was to be expected, given all her successes. I tried to find a middle ground and adapt to her game and different styles, but I couldn’t do it today.”
Although Jovic lost in the quarterfinals, her success in such a short time on the professional stage is a huge feat. At 18, she is the youngest player to reach the Australian Open quarter-finals since Nicole Vaidis in 2007 – and the youngest to do so without dropping a set since Venus Williams in 1998. Those are impressive references.
“Amazing player, it was a tough match,” Sabalenka said, visibly out of breath after the match. “She played fantastic tennis. She made me raise my game … it was a real challenge.”
And it was a really tough match, but Jović, as always optimistic, decided to use this experience as a lesson. She has already spoken to her trainer Thomas Gutteridge about what she will be working on when she returns home to Los Angeles.
“I think when you play against players like Arya, who are very strong, hit the ball extremely hard and don’t allow you to get into the rhythm of the match from the very beginning, you have to accept that and adapt to that pace, because you can’t dictate the game,” Jovic said.
“You have to accept that the points are going to be quick and short, and you have to match it with the same intensity. I tried to stay somewhere in the middle today – which obviously doesn’t work. Now I know about next time, and hopefully I can change some things. But, you know, there’s always next time – and that’s nice.”
As for the continuation of the season, which for Jovic started with a trip to the finals in Hobart as preparation for the Australian Open, the young player – who has already achieved a lot – will be well worth following.
“I hope to play many more quarterfinals. I don’t think this win or loss will decide my career,” Jovic said.
“It was a tough match, and I think Aryna played great. I could have done some things differently, but that’s tennis. It’s amazing what she’s achieved in her career – it really inspires me.
I hope to have more opportunities to play against her – and, hopefully, I can fight back.”
(Vijesti.ba)
