Rennae Stubbs Backs ‘Special Kid’ Iva Jovic to Win Grand Slam Title ‘in the Next 12 to 18 Months’ After US Open Run

Iva Jovic made her Grand Slam main draw debut at the 2024 US Open. And last year, she played in the main draw rounds of every Major, but failed to make deep runs. In the WTA 500 Guadalajara Open last year, the 18-year-old beat Emiliana Arango in the final, winning her career’s first tour-level title. Then came this season’s Australian Open.

Jovic’s run ended only when she lost to four-time Grand Slam singles champion Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals. Prior to the Australian Open, she reached the final of the Hobart International but lost the title to Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

After her third-round exit at the French Open, the American ace lost in the fourth round of both Wimbledon and the US Open. In New York, it’s countrywoman Coco Gauff who ended her run. Following the conclusion of the US Open, Serena Williams‘ coach Rennae Stubbs praised Jovic’s tennis on her The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, also backing her to win a Grand Slam title.

But I want to talk about Jovic. This kid is special. I think she is going to win a Major in the next 12 to 18 months because I think she has the chutzpah. Her groundstrokes have improved so much, her forehand has improved so much, it was her weaker shot. She rips that thing and hits it down the line really well when she’s confident.

Jovic will next be competing at the Guadalajara Open as the second seed. She will lock horns with Zeynep Sonmez in the opening round.

Her serve has improved, it has a bit more pop on it now because it was () two years ago. She was only 16, but it was not good. She is going for it, her backhand is great, she is willing to move forward when she has to. But her guts in the third set.

Rennae Stubbs added on her namesake podcast

In the US Open final, Elena Rybakina beat Aryna Sabalenka in three sets to win her career’s third Grand Slam title. On Monday, the Kazakh ace officially dethroned the Belarusian from the No.1 ranking.

Rennae Stubbs on Alexandra Eala’s defeat to Iva Jovic at the US Open

Before her defeat to Coco Gauff, Iva Jovic knocked out her good friend Alexandra Eala in three sets in the third round. The win helped Jovic improve her head-to-head record to 3-0, with the clash also being their second meeting in a Grand Slam tournament after this year’s French Open opening round.

Eala arrived in New York after decent performances in the warm-up events on the North American hard-court swing, as she lifted her career’s first tour-level title by beating home favorite Jessica Pegula in the Citi Open final, then lost in the fourth round of the Canadian Open and the third round of the Cincinnati Open.

And after her US Open exit, Eala was seen wiping away her tears while she was leaving the court and also got emotional while talking about the support of the Filipino crowd at the press conference. Reacting to the Jovic-Eala match, Rennae Stubbs, on her podcast, said:

She [Jovic] was not going away physically, mentally, and emotionally. She was letting Eala know, ‘I am not going away either, friend’. Her fighting spirit and the way she plays… I am so impressed. I love this kid. 18. Amazing. They are really good friends, and they didn’t show that in the match. They were going at it, they were pushing each other, there was no mercy, they were hanging in there.

The 21-year-old produced her best Grand Slam performance at this year’s Wimbledon, where the two-time Grand Slam singles finalist Jasmine Paolini clinched a three-set win in the fourth round. Apart from the Citi Open, Eala also reached the final of last year’s Eastbourne International, losing the match to Maya Joint.

Also read: Coco Gauff’s Ex-Coach Breaks Down Ben Shelton’s Costly Tactical Errors in US Open Final