Rising American tennis star Iva Jović has made headlines with a strong start at the US Open 2025. The 17-year-old has now opened up about a special meeting with her tennis idol, Novak Djokovic, during the summer.
The youngster shared details of her encounter after securing a first-round victory at the US Open. Her connection to the tennis legend runs deep through her Serbian heritage.
How Did Iva Jović Describe Meeting Novak Djokovic?
When asked about her meeting with Djokovic, Jović revealed the story behind their introduction at Wimbledon. Her coach, Kathy Rinaldi, played a key role in making the meeting happen during practice sessions on the indoor courts.
The Serb walked in on a court close to them, along with his son. Rinaldi instantly said to Jović, “Let’s go up to him right now!” and Jović was surprised but said that she loves this quality of her coach.
“He just wished me luck and told me to keep working,” she added. “It was kind of just a little bit of an introduction. I met Jelena there too, and his son was playing. It was just so cool.
“There was nothing super specific said, but just the way he talks, he has a thing about himself where you can tell that he’s great. Not even seeing him on the tennis court, he has that presence, which is super cool,” Jović expressed her admiration for the Serbian legend.
Iva Jovic finally her childhood idol Djokovic ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ee4cj9fIjR
— Nicolas Ally (@nick_ally1986) August 26, 2025
She added that for her, it was always Djokovic. She grew up watching him play in his early days, and he has been an inspiration for her since her childhood. Jović revealed that the Serb’s successful mentality is also what she admires, other than his gameplay. “Now I can officially say I know him!”
Jović’s Rising Career and US Open Success
Jović continued her strong 2025 season with her US Open first-round win over Aliaksandra Sasnovich. The American won 7-6 (6), 6-3 in a match that lasted for one hour and 50 minutes.
Jović was much more effective on break points, converting four out of seven chances compared to her opponent’s two out of eight. She struck four aces while making only three double faults.
The 17-year-old has been climbing the rankings throughout 2025. On Aug. 25, 2025, she reached her career-high ranking of World No. 73, a huge jump from her year-end 2024 ranking of around 190.
Her breakthrough moment came at the Ilkley Open in June, where she won her first WTA 125 title. Jović defeated defending champion Rebecca Marino 6-1, 6-3 in just 68 minutes to claim the grass-court title. The win helped her break into the top 100 for the first time in her career.
Earlier in 2025, she also won the ITF W100 Charlottesville title on clay courts. Her season record stands at 29 wins and 12 losses.
Jović now faces a tough test against No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini in the second round. The Italian leads their head-to-head 1-0 after winning their previous meeting at Indian Wells 7-6(3), 1-6, 6-3.
