US High School Student Pulls Off US Open Upset

California's Iva Jovic, 16, advances to second round
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Aug 27, 2024 11:42 AM CDT
US High School Student Pulls Off US Open Upset
Iva Jovic, in a screen shot.   (YouTube)

Iva Jovic, a 16-year-old from Torrance, California, pulled off a major US Open upset on Monday, eliminating 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette of Poland in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. "Surprised, but not surprised," Jovic said about the result against someone who's been ranked in the top 20, per the AP. "I just had a plan about what I was going to do before we started, and there weren't that many needs for crazy adjustments, because it was going well," Jovic said. "So just kind of sticking to that."

  • Milestone: She's the youngest American to win a women's singles draw match at the US Open since 2020, when Katrina Scott also did so at age 16.
  • Next up: Jovic plays Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova, ranked No. 31, in the second round on Wednesday.

  • High school: Here's one indication of Jovic's youth: She still is planning to enter the junior event later in the tournament. Here's another: Jovic is still in school, taking online courses through a program she described as "convenient and ... very lenient."
  • How she got here: Jovic earned a wild-card entry for the main bracket at the year's last Grand Slam tournament by winning the US Tennis Association Girls' 18s national championship. She is the No. 5 junior in the world, per USOpen.org.
(More US Open Tennis stories.)

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