Iva Jovic shares her goal on the WTA Tour which is the same from her juniors career

Iva Jovic has quickly become one of the most exciting players on the WTA Tour, having made a rapid progression from junior tennis.

At just 18 years old, Jovic is already a one-time WTA champion, emerging victorious in Guadalajara last year.

The American teenager also reached this year’s Hobart International final, but was beaten by Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

Jovic has now turned her attention to the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she has just progressed to the round of 16.

Iva Jovic wants to earn a fighting reputation on the WTA Tour

Jovic defeated Kamilla Rakhimova in her opening match of the WTA 1000 tournament, after which she shared her current goal.

“In the juniors, I was always that player who was making deep runs every single week,” explained Jovic, as quoted by the WTA website.

“I wasn’t maybe winning all the titles, but I was there every single week and I would never go out without a fight.

“So it’s like, let’s try to make that reputation in the pros too. So far, it’s been great. I’ve been finding my footing in all these tournaments.”

Iva Jovic already finding 2026 very different to last year

Jovic now takes on fellow American Jessica Pegula in the Dubai round of 16, having just beaten Diana Shnaider.

It’s the first time she’s been seeded at a WTA 1000 tournament, with the world number 20 representing the 16th seed this week.

It’s also the first time she’s taken part as a top 20 player, with Jovic sharing insight into the differences she is now facing compared to last year.

“Sometimes when you’re competing a lot, you lose certain things,” she said.

“Technical things get a little worse through the competition, so you need to go back in and clean up a lot of things.

“You need to go back in the gym a lot because you’re not able to train as much when you’re playing matches. Just building.

“[Last year] it was a bit of a blessing that I was under those age restrictions, because I had a lot of time to train to get better.

“Which is going to be different this year, but I’m going to have to manage that as well.”

Given her current status, Jovic must now be prepared for a busier schedule, but she’s dealt with the problem expertly so far.

After playing singles and doubles at the Australian Open, the teenager enjoyed a well-earned break, but is now chasing further success in Dubai.

Managing her physical and mental health should be a priority at this key stage, with the 18-year-old having already played well over 100 career matches despite her youth.

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