Iva Jovic is a different kind of 18-year-old

American is youngest player in the WTA Top 20

By Grant Thompson

If Iva Jovic were a typical 18-year-old, this week would likely be about collecting a dorm key. Her parents might be packing the car, saying their final goodbyes and helping their daughter leave their Southern California home to begin her first year of college.

But Jovic is not typical. She is a teenage sensation, traveling the globe as the youngest player in the WTA Top 20. The 2007-born Jovic is living a dream, having only continued her meteoric surge since appearing at the Cincinnati Open last year as the World No. 88. Now she’s back in Ohio, this time as the 13th seed.

Amidst her fast rise, has the American star ever had a pinch-me moment?

“When I’m at a tournament, I’m trying to focus, I don’t try to think about those things, but sometimes randomly you wake up and you’re like, ‘Wow, this is pretty cool that this is my life’,” said the Torrance, California-raised Jovic.

“I’m very grateful for everything, all of the opportunities I have. I don’t take that for granted. But I think you need to never get too comfortable and always strive for more.”

At heart, Jovic is a Cali-girl who enjoys surfing, boogie boarding, paddleboarding and going to the beach. She’s pretty good at tennis, too. Jovic has made her mark at some of the sport’s biggest tournaments this year, including a quarter-final run at the Australian Open (l. Sabalenka) and a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon (l. Pegula).

Those bright-light matches — facing No. 1 Sabalenka in Melbourne and the highest-ranked American, Pegula, at SW19 — have taught Jovic what is needed to climb even higher.

“I think a big part of it is the problem solving and the clearheadedness,” Jovic said. “In some of those moments where you’re playing a big match against someone who has experience, they are able to problem solve and make adjustments a little bit better. But that’s something that gets better over time and unfortunately sometimes you have to lose to learn.”

Jovic last year claimed her first tour-level title in Guadalajara, sporting an iconic oversized Mexican sombrero during the trophy ceremony — a tournament tradition. She was the youngest WTA Tour champion in 2025.

“I’ve definitely improved quite a bit in the last year, so it’s nice to see the ranking go up with that as well, but it’s a process,” said Jovic, whose parents, Bojan and Jelena, had to “start from scratch” when they emigrated to the U.S. from Eastern Europe. Jovic’s father is Serbian, while her mother is Croatian.

The well-spoken and composed Jovic often seems far beyond her 18 years — not only when she looks reporters in the eye during interviews, but also in the way her game continues to mature: “I’m still very young, so hopefully I can keep improving my game and get better every year.”