Teenage dream: Iva Jovic topples Emiliana Arango in Guadalajara to claim first title

American teenager Iva Jovic capped off a golden week at the Guadalajara Open, winning her first WTA 500 title by defeating Emiliana Arango 6-4, 6-1. The 17-year-old star gets a major boost in the WTA rankings, reaching world No. 36, after a week where she even saved a match point in the quarterfinals.

Jovic (No. 73) and Arango (No. 86) faced off in the final of the WTA 500 Guadalajara tournament to crown a new champion. The American made history by reaching the final at just 17 years old, showcasing her precocious talent and overcoming difficult tests, such as her three-set victory over the Czech player Bartunkova in the semifinals. For her part, the Colombian had lost the final at the WTA 500 Mérida Open to Emma Navarro earlier in the year and was looking to redeem herself in the second final of her career.

Jovic joins Maya Joint (Rabat), Lois Boisson (Hamburg), and Victoria Mboko (Montreal) as debut singles champions on the circuit this season, as well as the Frenchwoman Tiantoa Sarah Rakotomanga Rajaonah, who also won a title this Sunday at the WTA 250 São Paulo Open.

Arango also sees significant growth in the rankings, moving up to world No. 53 after her second final—both, interestingly, at WTA 500 tournaments. She also becomes the Colombian No. 1, surpassing Camila Osorio, who has been the Colombian leader for the past five years, and is on the verge of potentially breaking into the Top 50.

Both players knew this was a golden opportunity, not just for their first title but for unexpected prize money and points. The first set showed how evenly matched the players were, as both defended their serves early on. Arango was the first to get break opportunities, though she couldn't convert them.

Jovic led 3-2 with her serve when the first break of the match came, with the teenager taking her first opportunity to go up 4-2. Arango quickly reacted and broke back. This led to an unstable period for both players, as neither could hold serve. Jovic secured the break that put her ahead 5-3 and then had three set points on her serve, but Arango responded with her second consecutive break. The Colombian served to tie the set, but Jovic this time got the set point on the return. The American took the lead 6-4 after 53 minutes and five consecutive breaks between the two players.

The tension from the first set, in which Jovic again had trouble closing it out (just like against Bartunkova in the semifinals), gave her a chance to breathe and face the second set. She started by saving three break points against her and then got a break in a blank game to go up 2-0. The American was starting to see the title get closer.

Arango, true to her style, showed a great fight from the baseline, recovered the break, and encouraged herself with a crowd that was on her side. The South American was serving at 1-2 with a chance to tie, but the pressure seemed to get to her when it came to her serve, as Jovic just kept getting break after break. In fact, Arango didn't win another service game, and Jovic took the last four games in a row. It was a 6-4, 6-1 victory for the teenager, who broke her rival's serve six times consecutively and secured a win she will surely never forget.

Jovic has now become a new name to watch on the WTA Tour, a reality as a WTA 500 champion and a Top 40 player. She is the youngest player in the Top 150 and No. 3 among those under 20, only behind Mirra Andreeva (No. 5, 18 years old) and Victoria Mboko (No. 23, 19 years old).