American tennis finds itself in an intriguing place right now, with the future looking bright thanks to the rise of Iva Jovic.
American men have found it difficult on the court in recent times, although they have been forced to compete with ATP superstars Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
On the WTA Tour, Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina are the current standouts, but many American women are certainly posing a real threat, including Jovic.
Jessica Pegula and Coco Gauff have also really found their feet of late, and they are joined in the top 10 by fellow American Amanda Anisimova.
But next in line is potential superstar Jovic, who is currently in her career-high rank of 16 despite being only 18 years old.
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America’s potential superstar Iva Jovic can become world-class
Jovic is only a teenager, but she has already hit many major milestones, including that hugely impressive rank.
But she’s also already a one-time WTA champion, having emerged victorious in Guadalajara last year.
The American fell short of a second success in this year’s Hobart final, after which she stormed to the quarterfinals of the Australian Open.
It represents her best Grand Slam finish, with Jasmine Paolini among her victims before her defeat to world number one and top seed Aryna Sabalenka.
It’s just one of a number of fine runs she has enjoyed of late, with such success epitomized via 23 matches in 2026, which is among the highest on the WTA Tour.
Of course, role models will also play a role in her potential future success, and fortunately she has one of the very best.
Jovic looks up to Novak Djokovic, who obviously needs no introduction given what he’s achieved and indeed continues to achieve at the age of 38.
But perhaps more significantly, the youngster has also been attracting the attention of her WTA elders, with both Pegula and Keys big fans of Jovic, and understandably so.
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Iva Jovic’s stunning rise up the WTA rankings
Despite her brief career so far, Jovic has already claimed 96 wins, having also suffered 38 losses.
She is rapidly approaching $2million in prize money thanks to her efforts on the court, which include appearances at all four Grand Slams.
And despite her brief major history, it may just be Wimbledon where she enjoys the most success given that grass is her favorite surface.
| Top rank by year | Year-end ranking | |
| 16 | 2026 | – |
| 33 | 2025 | 35 |
| 189 | 2024 | 206 |
| 646 | 2023 | 647 |
She lost her opening match at the All England Club last year, while the rising star has never made it beyond the French Open and US Open second rounds.
Alongside the likes of her WTA rival Alexandra Eala, Jovic is among the most exciting tennis youngsters right now, and with plenty of justification.
She does, however, need to keep her feet on the ground and stay focused, but that hasn’t proven to be an issue for the American sensation, who speaks and acts well beyond her years.
The same can be said of her tennis ability, which has already been on show this week at the Charleston Open.
At the WTA 500 clay-court tournament, Jovic has just booked a round of 16 meeting with Sofia Kenin after beating Alycia Parks 6-3, 6-2.
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