American 18-year-old Iva Jovic pulled off the biggest upset of her young career when she stunned Italian seventh seed Jasmine Paolini at the Australian Open on Friday.
The 6-2, 7-6(3) win sealed a first ever Grand Slam last-16 appearance for the young tennis player, who is one of the biggest up-and-coming sports stars in the US.
The 29th seed turned the tables on Paolini, who had beaten her last year at Indian Wells and the US Open, to claim her maiden victory over a top-10 player and extend her tour-leading win streak to 10 matches in 2026.
‘It feels amazing, I’ve been working really hard for it. I’ve been wanting this one for a while now,’ she said.
‘I had a couple of tough losses. I’m just so happy to get through that barrier and get the win today.’
Jovic had the opportunity to serve for the match before Paolini fought back to force a tiebreak, where the American showed her nerve and won the last five points to book a fourth-round clash with Yulia Putintseva.
Iva Jovic, 18, is celebrating the biggest win of her career so far at the Australian Open
The American teen tennis sensation beat Jasmine Paolini to reach the last 16 in Melbourne
‘I tried to focus on what I was doing earlier in the match, being really aggressive and controlling the play,’ Jovic added.
‘I think when I served for the match, I got a little too passive. So I told myself to go out swinging and it helped in the tiebreak.’
It capped a memorable day for North American teenagers after Canadian 19-year-old Victoria Mboko also advanced with a 7-6(5), 5-7, 6-3 victory over Clara Tauson.
Paolini, the world No 8, took a medical timeout in the opening set and afterwards revealed she had been hampered by a stomach problem.
Paolini bemoaned stomach problems when she spoke about the reasons for her loss to Jovic
Until this point, Jovic – pictured during her Christmas break – had not beaten a top 10 seed
Jovic shakes hands with Paolini at the net at the end of their Australian Open battle on Friday
‘I think I lay down on the sofa after lunch and that wasn’t a good idea for my stomach. I stepped on court and I couldn’t move at my best.’
But Paolini was full of praise for her young opponent.
‘She’s very tough opponent already – very mature on court, not many mistakes,’ she said.
‘She’s playing good every shot, basically. So I think she has a really bright future ahead.’
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American teen tennis sensation Iva Jovic, 18, knocks out top seed to seal biggest win of her career at Australian Open