“Just try to be like Novak”: Iva Jovic discusses how Djokovic inspires her on and off the court

At 18, Iva Jovic has consolidated her position inside the world’s top 20. The American, currently ranked No. 20, captured her first 500-level title at the end of 2025 and has backed it up with a consistent start to the new season. She reached the Hobart final, the Auckland semifinals, and compiled an 11-3 record, placing her ninth in the Race and second among Americans behind Jessica Pegula.

Her momentum carried into Melbourne, where she advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal. Wins over Jasmine Paolini and Yulia Putintseva underlined her progress before she fell to the world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. The run pushed her to a career-high ranking and reinforced her status as one of the most upwardly mobile players on tour.

Speaking to Arab News ahead of this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Jovic reflected on the shift from occasional appearances to securing direct entry into major events. For a player who was recently navigating qualifying draws, the change is structural as much as symbolic.

“I mean, it’s so special. Obviously, it’s one thing to kind of play your first WTA events and get the feel for it, but it’s a different one to be in the tournaments every week and have your ranking at a place where you can play the full calendar," the world No. 20 stated. "So that was the goal for me, and it’s pretty incredible to have had it all as it is now and to just be here.”

After a heavy schedule in Australia, Jovic withdrew from Abu Dhabi and Doha – taking a few weeks off before returning to the courts this week at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. “Yeah, I think I just needed a little bit more time. I think I played the most matches out of anyone in the Australian swing."

"It was a lot, and I’m really happy with how it went. It was a great experience, and I won a lot, right? So that’s what you want. But I also needed to rest and train a little bit to just take care of my body. And now I’m feeling good and ready to go to be here in Dubai.”

Her evaluation of Melbourne is measured. While she acknowledged that some results may have surprised observers, she connected them directly to preparation. She framed the breakthrough as the product of accumulated work rather than a sudden spike. “So, surprised, but also not that surprised. Again, I think it’s one thing to have a couple of those good results, but for me the most important thing is consistency. So I want to establish myself as a player who’s going deep every single week.”

Initially, she was drawn to face former world No. 3 Maria Sakkari – but the Greek’s strong campaign in Doha up to the semifinals led her to decide to skip Dubai to take a rest after a long tournament. Now Jovic is set to face Kamilla Rakhimova in the opening round. The adjustment reflects the fluid nature of the calendar, but Jovic made clear her priority was recovery after an intense swing.

Facing Sabalenka on one of the most iconic stages in the world, Rod Laver Arena, offered a benchmark. Although the match did not go her way, losing 3-6, 0-6, Jovic described it as an opportunity to assess “where you stand.”

She emphasized that the gap at the highest level often comes down to details rather than structural deficiencies. “Yeah, I think that obviously you want to play the best just to win, yes, but even if you don’t, to just see where you stand,” the teenager claimed. “I think I’ve done a good job so far of learning from every loss, and I think that’s all it is. You learn from it, and it’s just fine margins. The differences aren’t that big.”

Off-court, one of the highlights of her visit to Melbourne was a meeting with 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic, who even gave her advice – according to her own account during the Australian Open. The Serbian teenager showered praise on who she considered her ultimate idol: “He gave me specific advice on my game,” she said at the time. “His sophistication and intelligence are impressive. I want to be as much like Novak as I can. That's the goal.”

This time, Jovic revisited her encounter with Nole at the Aussie Open, although she commented that she does not plan to ask him for advice on the Dubai courts – where the Serbian has won five titles. “Oh, my God. Well, I hope … I don’t know if I’m brave enough to do that. I’m still a little nervous when I talk to him.”

“He’s definitely my idol, but yeah, I see him at every corner. I’m like, how many times did this guy win the tournament? I see him on every screen. But just try to be like Novak. I’m going to keep it that simple.”