Blossoming teen star Jovic hopes to join fellow Americans in Top 10

By Harvey Fialkov / Staff writer/Photo by: Francois Nel/Getty Images

MIAMI GARDENS — Iva Jovic is fortunate enough to be part of two very successful cliques on the WTA circuit.

First and foremost, she is an 18-year-old American on the rise, and in hopes of joining the illustrious trio of USA players currently residing in the Top 10: No. 4 Coco Gauff, No. 5 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Amanda Anisimova, and past top tenner Madison Keys.

All five advanced into the third round of the Miami Open on a sun-splashed Saturday on the Miami Open campus, starting with No. 17 Jovic in a workmanlike 6-2, 6-1 rout of former No. 2 Paula Badosa of Spain, who has been dealing with chronic back issues.

“We have so many great players, having [three] in the Top 10 speaks for itself,’’ said Jovic, a dominant junior from Fresno, Calif., who now lives in Orlando. Her career breakthrough came in the Guadalajara ATP 500 event last September. She added a title at Hobart and a quarterfinal run in the Australian Open, where she ran into No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

“I feel like I’ve been welcomed in the group. They’re all nice and pretty chill. No one is up in the clouds and we all have a good relationship. I practiced with [Keys] in Orlando. I went on her podcast. We talk, we complain and we laugh.”

Still a proud member of the champion American contingent, Keys, 31, was ranked a career-high No. 5 after winning her first Grand Slam in the Australian Open last year. She cruised into the third round with a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Romanian Elena-Gabriela Ruse.

“The American women are continuing to do incredibly well,’’ said Keys, winner of 10 titles now ranked No 18. “I think for the past decade that we have set the standard. It’s really great to see that there are so many great younger players who are very quickly coming up the ranks and trying to take our position at the top of the game.

“Iva is such a great player; she’s so professional. I’m really impressed how willing she is to do everything she needs to do to get better.”

Jovic is also a card-carrying club member of the formidable teen brigade with No. 10 Mirra Andreeva, No. 9 Victoria Mboko and teen-like 20-year-old Alexandra Eala, all who were briefly practicing and giggling in the rain together earlier this week. They all won their third-round matches on a great day to be a tennis fan at a busy Miami Open.

“We have a great bond, the young players because we’re in a similar boat because we’re all finding our way on the Tour,’’ Jovic said. “The other day we were all practicing in the rain on the same court, me, Mirra, Vicky and Alex. It was really fun. I hope we will play in the future in some big matches.”

The future is here.

Ironically, Coco Gauff, 22, the old lady of the kiddie corps, struggled early against her longtime friend No. 105 Alycia Parks before wrapping up a 3-6, 6-0, 6-1 victory. The two spent hours playing tennis at Pompey Park in Delray Beach over the years.

After an error-prone first set, Gauff found the range and her customary intensity, driving the hard-hitting Parks all over Stadium Court while reeling off the next nine games. “Let’s go,’’ screamed Gauff after her vicious, backhand, crosscourt winner on match point.

“I’m happy with the resilience I showed,” she said before looking ahead to her fourth-round match against retiring 35-year-old Romanian Sorana Cirstea.

“It’s [Cirstea’s] last year so she has nothing to lose,” said Gauff.

Mboko, 19, winner of Montreal (1000) last year, faced only one break point in powering past Russian qualifier Anastasia Zakharova, 6-1, 7-5 and will next play doubles partner Andreeva. Mboko bested the 18-year-old Andreeva in a third-set tiebreak in Doha, but lost to her in Adelaide.

“We had two great matches already this year,’’ said Andreeva, the doubles champion here last year with fellow Russian Diana Shnaider. “It’s fun to share the court with her and on the doubles court as well. She’s a great player and a great person.

“I remember when we were all playing the same tournaments since we were very young. It’s just nice to see everyone here, including myself. … It’s fun to see the young girls on Tour doing very well. … Iva plays aggressive and at the same time she chooses the right decision, so she plays smart and aggressive, a great kind of mix of game-style.”

Jovic will take on scalding-hot Aussie Talia Gibson, who went from qualies to the quarterfinals at Indian Wells last week by taking out four Top 20 players. She will be trying to duplicate that feat in Miami.

“She’s playing hot right now and is definitely playing much above her ranking,’’ said Jovic, who downed Gibson in three sets in a WTA 125 in Great Britain a year ago. “We’re both much better since we were at that time. She’s dangerous; she’s strong and hits the ball big. It will be about breaking up her rhythm and her groove a little bit and just being tough in the big moments that swing matches.”

After her opening-round match was moved from Friday to Saturday, Pegula barely broke a sweat in a 6-1, 3-0 (retired) victory over injured Brit Francesca Jones. Jones, who has been nursing a tear in her hip, defeated Venus Williams in the first round.

Pegula, the 2025 Miami Open finalist, quickly found a lefty practice partner in anticipation of her fourth-round match withEala, who served her way to a 6-3, 7-6 (2) victory in front of her loyal Filipino fans on the packed Grandstand.

Pegula, the 32-year-old pseudo den mother of the kiddie corps, is a huge fan of Jovic’s.

“I’ve seen her improve so much, get so much stronger, hit the ball so much bigger,’’ Pegula said. “She works really, really hard. What stands out is just her maturity level at her age. You can tell she knows what she wants and is very sure of herself and not afraid out there.

“I remember watching her play in Australia and she went out on a night session and just absolutely destroyed somebody and I was like, ‘Wow, you know at that moment, that this stage isn’t really scaring her.”

***

About the Miami Open presented by Itaú

The 2026 Miami Open presented by Itaú will be played March 15 – March 29 at Hard Rock Stadium. The 15-day event is owned and operated by MARI and Hard Rock Stadium. The Miami Open is one of nine ATP Masters 1000 Series events on the ATP calendar, a WTA 1000 event on the WTA calendar, and annually hosts the world’s best players, with recent champions including the top players in each tour’s rankings – Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner, Aryna Sabalenka and Iga Swiatek. In 2025, the tournament attracted more than 400,000 spectators over its 15 days at Hard Rock Stadium. Widely regarded as the most glamorous stop on the ATP and WTA calendars, the Miami Open is defined by the city’s vibrant culture, nightlife, five-star dining and hospitality, iconic beaches, and celebrity appeal, along with its close proximity to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach.

About Itaú Unibanco

The largest bank in Latin America, Itaú Unibanco operates in 18 countries and serves more than 70 million customers, including individuals and companies across a wide range of segments. With the purpose of strengthening financial well-being, the bank supports customers at different stages of life by offering solutions tailored to their needs, as well as innovation and information that encourage more conscious decision-making and a healthier relationship with money.

In sports, Itaú has maintained a consistent presence in tennis for 50 years, supporting the development of the sport in Brazil and worldwide across multiple fronts — from talent development to the sponsorship of major international events — as part of its strategy to strengthen customer relationships, build brand relevance, and broaden access to sport.

About MARI 

MARI is a global events and experiences company with a portfolio of some of the world’s most influential live properties across sport, art, lifestyle, and entertainment. From international tennis tournaments such as the Mutua Madrid Open and the Miami Open presented by Itaú to Frieze, a leading voice in contemporary art, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, TodayTix Group’s leadership in digital ticketing, and Barrett-Jackson’s leading collector car auctions, MARI’s portfolio reflects a shared ambition: to deliver live experiences that bring people together, inspire audiences and shape culture worldwide.

About Hard Rock Stadium

Hard Rock Stadium is a global entertainment destination and curator of world-class events. The best-in-class venue is home to the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami Hurricanes football team, the Capital One Orange Bowl, Formula 1® Crypto.com Miami Grand Prix, Miami Open presented by Itaú, major concerts, the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship Game and FIFA World Cup 2026™. Due to its overall sustainability efforts, the multifunctional venue holds Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification and FIA Three-Star Environmental Accreditation rating. For more information, visit hardrockstadium.com.