Iva Jovic has made history by becoming the youngest American woman to reach the quarter-finals of the Australian Open since Venus Williams in 1998. The 18-year-old showcased her exceptional talent by decisively defeating Kazakhstani veteran Yulia Putintseva with a stunning score of 6-0, 6-1 on Sunday.
Jovic, who arrived in Melbourne as the youngest player in the top 100 and seeded 27th, has shown remarkable dominance throughout the tournament, breezing through her first four matches without dropping a single set. Her triumph over No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini in the third round marked her first victory against a top-20 player. Despite her incredible success, Jovic remains grounded, dismissing the notion of an underdog mentality.
“I don’t really feel like there is a lot of house money or underdog mentality that I’m feeling,” Jovic explained. “I have come from two other tournaments where I was playing every day and winning a lot of matches, as well. So this week and the level that I’m showing right now doesn’t really feel much different than that.”
As a result of her impressive performances, Jovic now faces Aryna Sabalenka, the No. 1 seed and two-time champion, in the upcoming quarter-final match. Sabalenka advanced after a challenging match against the talented 19-year-old Victoria Mboko, winning 6-1, 7-6 (1) to reach her 13th consecutive grand slam quarter-final.
Following her singles success, Jovic returned to the court for doubles alongside Mboko, where they engaged in an exhilarating match against fourth seeds Elise Mertens and Zhang Shuai. Although they ultimately lost 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (10), Jovic described the experience as one of the most thrilling doubles matches she has ever played. “It was outrageous. The crowd was going crazy. There were so many long points. It was a lot of fun,” she reflected.
In other results from the tournament, Coco Gauff and Elina Svitolina will face off in the top half quarter-finals after Gauff, the third seed, overcame 19th seed Karolina Muchova in a competitive match that ended 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. Svitolina, seeded 12th, had a notable upset against eighth seed Mirra Andreeva, winning 6-2, 6-4.
On the men’s side, top seed Carlos Alcaraz progressed to the quarter-finals by defeating Tommy Paul in straight sets. Alcaraz will now face sixth seed Alex de Minaur, who triumphed over Alexander Bublik, the 10th seed, with a score of 6-4, 6-1, 6-1. Additionally, 25th seed Learner Tien delivered a shocking result by defeating 11th seed Daniil Medvedev, a three-time finalist, 6-4, 6-0, 6-3. Medvedev acknowledged Tien’s performance, stating, “He played great.”
As the Australian Open continues, the excitement surrounding these young athletes and their remarkable achievements promises to captivate tennis fans around the world.