One of the several upsets so far on the women’s side of the 2024 US Open also features the tournament’s youngest entrant. Newcomer Iva Jovic stunned Magda Linette in her Grand Slam debut on Tuesday, eliminating the 2023 Australian Open semifinalist in the first round. 

The California native became the youngest American to win a women’s main-draw match at Flushing Meadows since 2000. Jovic, the fifth-ranked junior in the world, earned her US Open spot after taking the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s National Championship match earlier this month.  

“Surprised, but not surprised,” Jovic said after beating Linette. “I just had a plan about what I was going to do before we started, and there weren’t that many needs for crazy adjustments because it was going well,”

Here’s everything to know about Jovic, the teenage tennis player who impressed in her Round 1 win at the 2024 US Open.

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Who is Iva Jovic?

Jovic grew up in Torrance, Calif., where she participated in several sports other than tennis, including soccer, gymnastics, and swimming. She kept going back to her racket, though, which she worked on with her older sister on the rooftop courts of the apartment complex they lived in.

She appeared on the junior tennis circuit when she won the U14 singles event at the Orange Bowl in December 2021. Jovic eventually paired up with Tyra Caterina Grant, with whom she won doubles at the Orange Bowl in 2022 and 2023. She also joined Grant on Team USA at the 2023 Junior Billie Jean Cup, where the Americans won the tournament without dropping a set. 

The dynamic duo of Jovic and Grant have had an extremely successful 2024 so far, winning the junior doubles titles at the Australian Open in January and Wimbledon in July. They also reached the final of the French Open in early summer.

Iva Jovic age

The teenager was born on Dec. 6, 2007, making her 16-years-old. Jovic is still in high school and is taking online courses as she competes. Additionally, she will be entering the US Open’s junior event later in the tournament. 

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Iva Jovic results

Jovic not only beat the ranked Polish national — she took her down convincingly. The 16-year-old didn’t even need a third set in the win, dominating Linette with 15 unforced errors to her 29. 

Winning just over two-thirds of points on both her first serve and net points, Jovic also converted half of her break-point opportunities. Linette, who is ranked 42 in the WTA rankings, simply couldn’t break the teenager and was sent home much earlier than she anticipated.

Here’s a look at the box score from Jovic’s first-round win.