NEW YORK — Iva Jovic, a 16-year-old from California, eradicated 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette of Poland 6-4, 6-3 on Monday.
“Shocked, however not stunned,” Jovic stated concerning the outcome in opposition to somebody who’s been ranked within the prime 20.
“I simply had a plan about what I used to be going to do earlier than we began, and there weren’t that many wants for loopy changes, as a result of it was going properly,” Jovic stated. “So simply sort of sticking to that.”
Katrina Scott of the U.S. was 16 when she received a match on the US Open 4 years in the past. Final yr, Mirra Andreeva of Russia was 16 when she did it.
Here is one indication of Jovic’s youth: She nonetheless is planning to enter the junior occasion later within the event. Here is one other: Jovic remains to be in class, taking on-line programs via a program she described as “handy and … very lenient.”
Jovic grew up collaborating in a bunch of sports activities, together with soccer, gymnastics and swimming. However she gravitated to tennis, which she started studying alongside her older sister on courts constructed atop the residence advanced in Torrance, California, they lived in.
“I need to be the most effective that I will be,” Jovic stated. “Simply get higher every single day, actually. Simply maintain working. I am on a very good path, however there’s much more to do.”
She earned a wild-card entry for the principle bracket on the yr’s final Grand Slam event by successful the U.S. Tennis Affiliation Ladies’ 18s nationwide championship. She additionally paired with Tyra Grant there to take the doubles title, which gave them a wild card for ladies’s doubles at Flushing Meadows; the USTA granted Jovic and one other American teen, Kaylan Bigun, a spot within the blended doubles subject, too.
Jovic and Grant teamed as much as win junior doubles titles on the Australian Open in January and Wimbledon in July; in addition they have been the runners-up on the French Open in June.
Jovic’s favourite gamers are 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic — he is Serbian, and so are her roots; after the English portion of her information convention concluded Monday, she answered questions in Serbian — and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Belinda Bencic.
Why?
“Djokovic, I imply, do I must say? Everyone knows how nice he’s,” Jovic responded. “After which Belinda, she simply takes the ball so early and her footwork could be very reducing the angle, so she simply makes her opponents really feel sort of suffocated. That is what I wish to attempt to do.”
Jovic would love the prospect to have a dialog with Djokovic, however their lone interplay to this point was when she requested if he would thoughts posing for a photograph.
“I do have a selfie,” she stated with a smile. “It does not look nice, however it’s there.”
The Related Press contributed to this story.
