At 18 years old, American tennis player Iva Jovic has entered the WTA Top 20 after strong performances in early 2026 tournaments. Her coach, Tom Gutteridge, emphasizes focusing on development for sustained success rather than immediate results. Jovic's journey includes deep runs in Auckland, Hobart, and Melbourne.
Iva Jovic, an 18-year-old from Torrance, California, has made a swift entry into the professional tennis spotlight. Born and raised in the area, she initially focused on soccer before taking up tennis more seriously at age 12 during the 2020 COVID-19 period, training at the USTA facility in Carson, California.
In 2025, at just 17, Jovic competed in the main draws of all four Grand Slams and capped the year with a title at the Guadalajara 500. Her 2026 season began strongly with a 14-5 record, propelling her into the Top 20 on the WTA Tour. She reached the semifinals in Auckland and the finals in Hobart, then advanced to the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in Melbourne, where she lost in straight sets to World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Sabalenka praised her opponent afterward: “Incredible player. She played incredible tennis and pushed me to a one-step better level. It was a battle.”
Jovic's coach, 33-year-old Englishman Tom Gutteridge, who began coaching at 16 and has worked with players like CiCi Bellis, stresses a measured approach. “It was great that she had this success,” Gutteridge said. “What’s really important is that she stays in the moment and keeps developing and analyzing areas of her game that need to improve. We’re really trying to work toward a bigger goal and focus -- and that’s not for another three to five years.”
Gutteridge highlighted Jovic's early intensity: “Her pre-point routines and her focus and engagement were off the charts at a young age... Just in big moments, the way she would step up and play the big points … I don’t think you can teach that.” Current focuses include improving her serve-plus-one, redirecting the ball—a strength similar to Jessica Pegula's style—and enhancing volleys, slice, and drop shot.
To manage her schedule, Jovic skipped the Doha 1000 event after her Australian successes, opting for training in Orlando and Dubai. At 5-foot-8 and expected to grow taller, her offseason emphasized physicality, fitness on clay, and explosive movement. Gutteridge's priority is longevity: “Stay healthy and keep building on the success of last year. This year, it’s more can she get used to this week-in-and-week-out grind.”
Former player Jill Craybas noted Jovic's completeness: “You don’t see anything technically that can go wrong in her game. She’s pretty solid all around... The other thing that stood out is her competitive fire and the way she carries herself. For someone so young, she already has that good mental stability.”