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Impressive performance from Iva Jovic australian openbacked by the playing skills of tennis legends Novak Djokovicending Tuesday, she was defeated by the top seed Alina Sabalenka.
The 18-year-old American lost 3-6, 0-6 in the quarter-finals at Melbourne Park.
Despite the defeat, Jovic expressed his immense gratitude to the Serbian star for his guidance. The Serbian star has 24 Grand Slam singles titles, 10 of which were won in Australia.
“Hopefully I can continue to spend more time with him throughout the year because it’s been great,” Jovic said, highlighting the valuable guidance.
Even with Djokovic’s insight, Jovic faces an insurmountable challenge against the powerful Sabalenka.
However, the young American has made great strides on the independent side, quickly climbing up the WTA rankings.
In 2024, she just cracked the top 200, and the projected rankings released on Tuesday show her climbing significantly to No. 20, her highest ranking to date.
Jovic showed early promise against Sabalenka, especially in the first set. After falling behind 0-3, she fought back and created three break opportunities while trailing 5-3 in the ninth game.
Despite her efforts, she ultimately lost the set 6-3, then lost momentum and took the second set 6-0.
Reflecting on Djokovic’s style of play, Jovic recalled a quote from Andre Agassi praising his ability to adapt to and disrupt his opponents.
She quoted Agassi comparing Djokovic to “a boxer and the way he punches and then fakes the punch a little bit. I think the way (Djokovic) approaches the game is very impressive.”
Jovic was born in California to a Serbian father and a Croatian mother who later immigrated to the United States. This marked her first appearance in a Grand Slam quarter-final and she looked remarkably composed heading into the stage.
“I think I obviously went into the fight not knowing much about what it was going to be like, having not really dealt with her in the past,” Jovic explained, noting that this was their first meeting.
“I try to find the middle ground and I think I have to be able to adapt to the game and what is necessary for the different styles of play. I couldn’t do that against Sabalenka”.
Jovic has previously revealed her conversations with Djokovic during the tournament, with the 38-year-old confirming he was happy to provide feedback to a player of Serbian descent.
He continued to offer support, texting her throughout the round with more tips. “I don’t even know what day it is today!” Jovic joked.
“So we’ve been communicating and I feel like we’ve built some relationship now which is great and I wish him the best for the rest of the game.”
Looking ahead, Jovic remains optimistic about his future Grand Slam prospects. “It’s the quarterfinals, but you know, eventually I hope to be in a lot of quarterfinals,” she said. “So I don’t think this win or loss today will make or break my career.”