At just 17 years old, Iva Jovic has etched her name into tennis history by lifting her first career WTA title. The Californian teenager, born in Torrance to a father from the Serbian city of Leskovac and a mother of Serbian origin from Split, Croatia, captured the WTA 500 Guadalajara Open title with a 6-4 6-1 victory over Colombia’s Emiliana Arango. With this triumph, Jovic becomes the youngest champion on the WTA Tour this season.
Just days ago, we highlighted that Serbia is one of only three nations ever to hold both the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the WTA rankings at the same time, thanks to Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic’s dominance in 2008. Now, although she plays under the American flag, Jovic is proving once again that there seems to be something in Serbian blood that breeds tennis excellence.
Jovic’s milestone came at 17 years and 283 days, narrowly surpassing Mirra Andreeva’s earlier record set in Dubai. In just one hour and 35 minutes on court, Jovic navigated tense moments against Arango, who battled despite illness. The Colombian pushed her hard in the first set, even saving multiple set points and breaking back, but Jovic’s consistency and composure ultimately sealed the win.
The victory ensures Jovic will enter the Top 50 of the WTA rankings for the first time in her career, marking another giant step for one of the most promising players of her generation. She is also the youngest American to capture a tour-level trophy since Coco Gauff’s victory in Parma four years ago.
While she was born in Torrance, California, and competes under the American flag, Jovic embraces her Serbian heritage. Her parents, Jelena and Bojan, raised her with strong ties to their homeland. Every summer since childhood, Iva has visited family in Belgrade and Leskovac, building lasting connections to Serbia. She fondly recalls summers spent in Zemun, on Ada Ciganlija, and even training sessions with local coaches such as Petar Djukic in Belgrade and at the Sumice Tennis Club in Leskovac.
“I’ve been coming to Serbia every year since I was two or three years old, to visit my grandparents and close family,” the resident of Los Angeles has said in interviews. “I love going there. It’s really beautiful—Belgrade is especially nice. I definitely have a strong connection with Serbia. I also have friends there.”
Her admiration for Novak Djokovic has also shaped her career. From starting tennis at the age of five, Jovic has looked up to the Serbian legend as her greatest role model, hoping to follow his path to the top of world tennis.
Jovic’s Serbian identity even sneaks into her matches. Fluent in the language, she admits she sometimes switches to Serbian on court, especially in moments of frustration:
“Sometimes, when I’m really angry and don’t want the umpires to understand me. That’s mostly it, but yes, sometimes I do. Now it feels strange because I see that many people actually understand, so I have to be careful what I say.”
Her passion, coupled with an all-court game that has already brought her triumphs on clay, grass, and hard courts, has convinced many that she is destined for the highest levels of the sport. American tennis circles view her as one of their brightest hopes, while fans in Serbia proudly celebrate her as a player with deep roots in their country. (sources: WTA, Kurir)
