“American Teen Sensation” – if the serious BBC comes with such superlatives, then there must be something to it. To Iva Jovic, 18 years old, and surprising round of 16 finisher at the Australian Open. The best of all time helped.
There is this one sentence that is similar to the French Novelist It is attributed to Marcel Proust that it is better not to meet your heroes, otherwise you would be disappointed.
Iva Jovic, who defeated a top 10 player in Jasmine Paolini for the first time in her career, will not agree with this sentence. She has admired Novak Djokovic since early childhood. Last year she met the 24-timer Grand-Slam-Champion for the first time and was excited about this meeting: “He told me that I could always contact him with any questions”she told Tennis Magazine “Clay” afterward.
No sooner said than done. In Melbourneboth Australian Openwhere men and women serve together, she got tips from the grandmaster. “I spoke to him before the game. That was unbelievable. He told me to do it Court open something and don’t play too hastily. I tried that today and it worked great. So I will continue to listen to Novak.”
Not like Ben Shelton
It is no coincidence that Jovic takes the Serb, who is 20 years his senior, as a role model. Her parents are Djokovic’s compatriots. They emigrated to California before Iva was born. Iva Jovic’s incredible tennis career began there at the age of five. For a long time, becoming a professional tennis player was not even an option: “When I started playing tennis, it was never about becoming a professional. I wanted to go to a good school and get a good college degree.”
But then the first successes came and she changed her mind. Not the one common in the USA CollegeTour to get started, like Ben Shelton did, for example, but directly to the professional tour, where it will stay: “The decision was made a little bit for me, but I’m very happy with it now.”
Every year to Serbia
Jovic’s environment is remarkably stable. She learned tennis in “Jack Kramer Club” in Rolling Hillsin which later world number one’s like Pete Sampras or Lindsay Davenport were trained. Thomas Gutteridgeher coach, has been training her for four years now. Plus Djokovic as a tipster – you can’t get more anchor. This is not only reflected on the pitch, but also in her personality.
In conversation, Jovic doesn’t seem like an 18-year-old who will only make her debut at the end of 2024 Grand Slamthe US Openhas given. As calm as a veteran, she held her press conference in the facility’s largest media room Melbourne Park across the stage. When the Serbian journalists asked whether they could also ask questions in Serbian, the press officer blocked them Australian Open first, but Jovic also willingly gave answers in her second language.
The Serbian roots are cherished and cared for, every year we go to Belgrade and Leskovac, in the rural south of Serbia: “I have family there. I also love the waterfront in Belgrade. That’s my favorite place at the moment.”
Strong teenagers at Australian Open
Jovic had already adequately answered questions about her playing potential on the pitch. World number eight Jasmine Paolini had little to counter the 18-year-old’s power and game intelligence. The Italian only had some hope at the end of the second set, but Jovic’s nerves dashed it.
Jovic is not the only teenager who is with the Australian Open causes a stir. Victoria Mboko, a good friend of Jovic, is already in the round of 16, Mirra Andreeva followed them late in the Australian evening. What they have in common is great, never arrogant self-confidence and an impressively offensive game.
In September of last year, Jovic, then just 17 years old, won her first major WTA title in Guadalajara while preparing for Melbourne she was in the final in Hobart. The young Californian’s developmental leaps are remarkable.
Almost movie star
However, Jovic unintentionally missed her very first appearance on the big stage. As a 14-year-old she was chosen for “King Richard“, the film about the beginnings of Venus and Serena Williams and her father Richard. Jovic was supposed to play an opponent of Venus in a youth tournament. But the scenes fell victim to the editing. She still has to wait for her cinematic breakthrough, but in sports she has achieved it.
In the round of 16 she will face the experienced Kazakh Yulia Putintseva, who acted like a minor villain during the tournament when she antagonized the audience several times. Maybe Jovic will get a few tips from Novak Djokovic before this match. He knows his way around, including the mental challenges of the game. And in this case, it certainly doesn’t hurt to meet your hero more often.
