Mirra Andreeva is leading the WTA teenage surge at the 2026 Australian Open; however, American Iva Jovic, also 18, is quietly working through the draw.
Jovic won her first title in 2025 at the WTA 500 tournament Guadalajara, becoming the youngest American woman champion since Coco Gauff in 2021. The 2026 Hobart International finalist possesses maturity and presence beyond her age.
On Wednesday, she played her Australian Open match at Rod Laver Arena against a hometown favorite in Priscilla Hon.
Jovic seemed unbothered and abruptly won 6-1, 6-2.
Through to her first Round 3 😎
Iva Jovic defeats Aussie Priscilla Hon in 1 hour and 11 minutes ✨#AO26 pic.twitter.com/pli4DLbgCD
— wta (@WTA) January 21, 2026
Must See AO 2026 Round 3: Iva Jovic Vs. Jasmine Paolini
The greatest test for Jovic is coming on Thursday in the third round against Italian Jasmine Paolini.
Though Jovic has been playing on the WTA Tour a short time, she has already faced Paolini two times and lost both matches.
They were at big settings; 2025 Indian Wells and 2025 US Open.
Jovic lost a close tiebreak and took a set from Paolini at Indian Wells but fell 6-3, 6-3 in New York last fall.
Iva Jovic is here. What a rally to win the match against Hon. We have spent every podcast talking about the WTA Next Gen with the way they have started the year. She is into the 3rd round & her Paolini next. I watched them play on Louis Armstrong last year. Will be fun. #AusOpen pic.twitter.com/xYZpj3nixl
— Ground Pass (@GroundPasspod) January 21, 2026
Facing Paolini again a few months later since winning at Guadalajara and losing at Hobart will be a good measuring stick for Jovic.
A Good Australian Open Draw
Jovic, seeded 29th, and Paolini, seeded 7th, are the highest ranked players in their section of the draw.
The winner of their match will face the winner of the match between Turkish tennis player and qualifier Zeynep Sonmez, World No. 112, and Yulia Putintseva, World No. 94 in the fourth round on Saturday.
Women’s tennis is highly predictable and Putintseva is a former Top 20 player, but Jovic or Paolini would be the favorite in that match.
Then, the challenge getss bigger.
The winner of this section of the draw will face the winner of two-time Australian Open Aryna Sabalenka’s section of the draw in the quarterfinals on Monday.
