AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 23, 2026

Iva Jovic

Press Conference

I. JOVIC/J. Paolini

6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Into your first second week at a Grand Slam. Give us your thoughts on the match today and just the emotions about reaching this stage.

IVA JOVIC: Yeah, I think it was difficult. A lot of ups and downs, and definitely had to hold my serve a little bit at the end getting broken so close to winning. So I'm just glad I was able to get it done in straights, and obviously to be in the second week for the first time is a milestone for me. So I'm happy.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I'm sure in the preseason when you're setting goals, I'm sure things like make the second week of a Grand Slam and beat a top-10 player are somewhere on that list. What does it mean to tick off two big milestones already in January?

IVA JOVIC: Yeah, it's great. I mean, you never know kind of how the year is going to start, and obviously I had my hopes to start well and win a lot of matches.

But you just never know when everything is going to click. It's really nice to be getting good results this early in the season, and hopefully I can keep going and winning some more (smiling).

Q. I'd love to hear about your mindset going into the match and also if Novak said anything particularly helpful recently, or at all.

IVA JOVIC: Yeah, actually I spoke to Novak yesterday a little bit. So it was pretty incredible. He gave me some very attentive tips for my game and something I can try to incorporate into this match that I just played.

So that was one of the things in the forefront of my mind, because I think when Novak gives you some advice, you follow it (smiling).

Q. Want to share what the advice was?

IVA JOVIC: Yeah, it was just to open up the court a little bit better, to not rush into the shots all the time, find some more width.

So I tried to do that, and it ended well. So I'm just going to try to keep listening to Novak.

Q. How tricky was it coming so close, not serving it out, to kind of reset? Was that something you kind of work towards as well, like the mental side of things?

IVA JOVIC: Yeah, I think it was difficult. Obviously you want to serve it out on your first chance, but I didn't play a great game serving it out.

I think I got a little passive, a little nervous, and she's obviously an experienced player, so she played her cards well and did what she had to do.

So I think in the tiebreak, I got a little bit more assertive and executed. So I think the last, what, four, five points of the tiebreak were very good.

So I'm glad that I was able to kind of use the time when I got broken and had that setback to refocus and kind of get more aggressive.

Q. How did you decide not to pursue, like, college tennis playing and you went to professional tennis? Do you go to Serbia? Where do you spend time there? Do you practice? What is your favorite spot there?

IVA JOVIC: Yeah, so firstly, originally when I started playing, it was never about, I mean, being a professional. I think everything just kind of went on its own course. I just loved playing really and competing.

So definitely for a long time it was getting into a great school and having a good college career, getting a good education. So that was the plan, and then things just kind of took a little bit of a turn.

I'm glad that it wasn't really a 50/50 tossup with all the eligibility rules. The decision was a little bit made for me to go pro unless I was just going to give up a lot of money and a lot of points, which I wasn't able to do. So the decision was made for me a little bit, which I'm happy with, and now I think it was definitely the right decision.

And with Serbia, I go every year pretty much. I went every year since I was one, or I don't even know how little -- my mom can say for that -- every year. I went last year, as well, right after Wimbledon. So even now, I try to find the time. Hopefully this year I can find the time.

I go to Belgrade, the capital. I have family there. And then I go to Leskovac. I have some of my dad's side of the family down there. I love the Belgrade waterfront right now. It's so beautiful. That's my favorite spot currently.

Q. Going back to that conversation with Novak, when you grow up idolizing a player, how surreal is it to have a player like that to watch your game and offer you substantive advice?

IVA JOVIC: Yeah, it's pretty insane. You always think about those moments where you're going to meet your idols a little bit, and I think sometimes for certain people it can be a little bit deflating if they are maybe not as nice or as open as you anticipated.

I think that happens a lot of times where you kind of see, oh, wow, that's definitely not how it looks like on TV. I think he's almost even kinder and even more attentive outside the cameras than what he's portrayed.

It was amazing. I mean, he's so intelligent and smart and really wants to help the younger generation. So I'm really grateful to have that advice. Hopefully I'll speak with him more and listen to his vice (smiling).

Q. Are there still any "wow" factors for you walking around the grounds at a Grand Slam? Secondly, you haven't dropped a set here, so what have you been most happy with in your game so far?

IVA JOVIC: I think I have just done a good job of taking care of business this week, honestly. I have worked hard to kind of bring my base level up and be able to play good tennis day in, day out. So I don't think I have been playing outside of my level.

I think I have just been able to maintain a steady level every day. Even in the previous weeks before this tournament, I played two weeks before and had a lot of matches, so I feel like I'm kind of in autopilot a little bit at this point.

So it's nice to be kind of in the groove this early in the year.

Q. Any "wow" factors still walking around the grounds like this?

IVA JOVIC: Yeah, I don't know if that's ever going to go away, honestly. I definitely feel a little more settled now than I did last year and just feel like I belong a little bit more and I have earned my spot here, obviously.

So that's nice. But I think it's always going to be crazy and a little bit of the "wow" factor, because not a lot of people get to be here and do this. Especially when you go from the ITFs where everything is kind of very different than here, you're just really grateful.

Q. So your next matchup against Yulia Putintseva for your spot in the quarterfinals, just your thoughts on playing her. Is she someone who has been able to feed off the negative crowd energy, just because of the passionate fan base she's playing against? Is that something you have to take advantage of? And just your thoughts on playing her.

IVA JOVIC: Yeah, I mean, hopefully I can keep it simple and not let the crowd and all that stuff get too much into the effect. Hopefully I can just play the better tennis out there.

But first time, first meeting. So I have seen her play a bit. I'll definitely look at some more video now that I know I'll be playing her. I mean, she's been around for a while. She has a lot of experience and she's definitely in this stage of the tournament for a reason.

It will be tricky, but I think if I just keep taking care of business, as I said earlier, it will be a good match.