What did Novak Djokovic say about Iva Jovic on the back of her incredible Australian Open run?
Novak Djokovic described Iva Jovic as “a great girl” and someone who “has all the tools to be a future champion” and she certainly proved the tennis great right during her demolition of Yulia Putintseva at the Australian Open.
Jovic has been tipped for great things from a young age as she made her professional debut as a 14-year-old and two years later she made her Grand Slam bow at the 2024 US Open, reaching the second round.
Having started the 2024 season at No 658, the American finished the year at No 189 and she continued her progress last year as she broke into the top 100 in May and the top 50 in August.
The youngster reached her maiden final at the Guadalajara Open in September and beat Emiliana Arango in straight sets to capture the title before reaching a second final at the Hobart International at the start of 2026.
Although she lost against Elisabetta Cocciaretto, her run helped her to crack the top 30 and she continued her fine form at Melbourne Park as she claimed her maiden top-10 win when she beat Jasmine Paolini in the second round.
The youngster later revealed that she had a chat to 24-time Grand Slam winner Djokovic ahead of her win over Paolini, saying: “Yeah, actually I spoke to Novak yesterday a little bit.
“So it was pretty incredible. He gave me some very attentive tips for my game and something I can try to incorporate into this match that I just played.
“So that was one of the things in the forefront of my mind, because I think when Novak gives you some advice, you follow it.”
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And the advice has certainly worked as she has now gone on to reach the quarter-final after beating Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 for the easiest win of her professional career to date.
Meeting one of her idols was certainly a dream come true as Jovic described the legend as “intelligent and smart”.
“You always think about those moments where you’re going to meet your idols a little bit, and I think, sometimes, for certain people it can be a little bit deflating if they are maybe not as nice or as open as you anticipated,” she explained.
“I think that happens a lot of times, where you kind of see, ‘Oh, wow, that’s definitely not how it looks like on TV.’ I think he’s almost even kinder and even more attentive outside the cameras than what he’s portrayed.
“It was amazing. I mean, he’s so intelligent and smart and really wants to help the younger generation. So I’m really grateful to have that advice. Hopefully I’ll speak with him more and listen to his advice.”
What Djokovic Had To Say
But Djokovic was also full of praise for the rising star – whose parents are Serbian immigrants – as he was asked about the meeting after his third-round win at Melbourne Park.
“I got to know Iva last year for the first time. She’s so young, she’s only 18 and is already making great strides in the rankings. She’s had some great results and is in the last 16 [here],” the Serbian said.
“We ran into each other yesterday [Friday] in the press area and I got to share some of my observations of her game. I guess that stays between us.
“I saw she did give away in her press conference what I told her. That’s fine. It’s up to her if she wants to share.
“I really like her, she’s a great girl and has a really nice family and, obviously, I feel more emotionally connected to her because of her Serbian background so I try even more.
“She definitely has all the tools to be a future champion, a future [world] No. 1, so that’s exactly what I wish for her.”
