Teenage tennis star Iva Jovic has taken the tennis world by storm, rising from world No. 172 to inside the top 20 in just over a year. The 18-year-old American, who has the backing of tennis legend Novak Djokovic, is now preparing for her first full grass season on the WTA Tour.
A meteoric rise
This time last year, Jovic had never played a professional match on grass. Yet she won her first WTA 125 title in Ilkley, breaking into the world's top 100 for the first time. Now ranked at No. 19, she is starting her grass campaign at London's Queen's Club, more than 200 miles south of Ilkley. Her rapid ascent began in February 2025 when she was ranked No. 172. Within a year, she cracked the top 20 after reaching the Australian Open quarter-finals. She has since won a WTA 500 title in Guadalajara.
Grass season anticipation
“Last year, the grass was really good for me, so hopefully, I can do it again this year,” Jovic told Express Sport, looking ahead to Queen's, Nottingham, and Wimbledon. After a third-round showing at Roland Garros, she feels ready for grass. “The good thing about playing on the clay is you're technically and tactically a better player when you come off of it. I enjoy the back end of the year because I feel like I've improved so much from playing on different surfaces. Hopefully, that helps me for grass. I'm going to stay in Europe and get on the grass early. Hopefully, I can have that advantage over some of the other players.”
Family support
Born in California to Serbian and Croatian parents, Jovic has family in London who will cheer loudly at Queen's and Wimbledon. “I have family in every corner of the world. I have many cousins, but a lot of my dad's family in London. They're going to come. They cheer very loud, so they're good support,” she laughed. Her family was present when she qualified for a Grand Slam for the first time at Wimbledon last year. “Qualies for Wimbledon was one of the most incredible things ever. I wanted that so badly. It was a lot of good vibes, and grass is just fun. It's a little different, and only a couple of weeks in a year, so you cherish it quite a lot.”
ITF experience
While the 2025 Ilkley Open was her first WTA 125 title, Jovic spent plenty of time on the ITF circuit. She credits those matches for her rise. “I highly rate the ITF level, and winning matches at any level is impressive. It's much easier to go from the ITFs to the pros than jumping in as a wild card without that experience. All those girls are really good down there, so when I played those, it wasn't that big of a level jump to come to the WTA.”
Age eligibility rules also forced her to play lower-level events before turning 18. “Looking back, it was annoying. But now, I think it gave me more time to have training blocks. It's a big worry that when you break out young, your body is not ready, and you get hurt a lot. I had that time to focus on building myself, and it's still the main focus. Last year was great with that.”
Djokovic's backing
As Jovic emerged as a breakout star, her idol Novak Djokovic gave her shoutouts during her Australian Open run. He has since become a source of advice. “It's amazing. I will always remember that day in Australia. We talk, and I can communicate with him whenever I want. He gives me shoutouts, and it's amazing. He's one of the smartest people I know, so I go to him whenever I need tennis advice or any life advice. He's a really smart guy, and hopefully, I can do some of the things that he does.”
Friendship with rivals
Jovic is part of a group of talented young stars, including Victoria Mboko and Alexandra Eala. They help each other navigate the pro circuit. “I think it's more bonding over the things we're collectively struggling with. None of us are old enough to know what the right thing is, but it's nice to go to someone and say, 'Hey, I'm struggling with this.'” They have learned to balance friendship and competition. Jovic beat Eala in the first round of the French Open just days after having dinner together. “We're a close-knit group. We can confide in each other and know it's not going to get out there. We can put it aside. You can be friends and still fight your butt off and try to win really badly.” They could face off again in the second round at Queen's.
