Jovic is younger than Mboko by 16 months, having celebrated her 18th birthday only a month and a half prior to the Australian Open.
Her professional career commenced in June 2022, and she advanced to the second round during her initial appearance in the US Open main draw in 2024, notably overcoming Magda Linette, who was ranked 42nd globally at that time.
Similar to Mboko, this former junior world number two had a remarkable year in 2025, highlighted by securing her first WTA championship at the Guadalajara Open in September and moving into the top 40 rankings.
Leading up to the Australian Open, she participated in a semi-final in Auckland and a final in Hobart, and has since advanced to the fourth round in Melbourne, achieving this feat without losing a single set.
Facing Paolini, an opponent to whom she had conceded in straight sets at the previous year’s US Open, Jovic powerfully navigated the opening set, securing three breaks of the Italian’s serve and asserting control over baseline rallies. She then maintained composure during the second-set tie-break, despite having previously missed two opportunities to serve out the match.
Jovic, whose heritage traces back to Serbia, instructed herself to “go out swinging” during the tie-break and subsequently acknowledged the encouragement provided by 24-time Grand Slam winner, Novak Djokovic.
“I had a brief conversation with Novak yesterday, which was quite remarkable,” Jovic stated.
She added, “He offered me some extremely thoughtful advice for my play — specifically, how to better exploit the court, avoid hurrying my shots constantly, and discover greater width in my game.”
“I attempted to implement his suggestions, and the outcome was favorable. I intend to continue heeding Novak’s counsel,” she concluded.
