Jovic takes advice from Djokovic, upsets Paolini at Australian Open

The youngest player in the Top 100, 18-year-old Iva Jovic, dealt out the biggest upset of the tournament so far with a 6-2, 7-6(3) third-round defeat of No. 7 seed Jasmine Paolini.

The result put No. 29 seed Jovic into the second week of a major for the first time at just her sixth attempt. It's also her first win over a Top 10 player in four meetings. Two of the American teenager's three previous losses had come against Paolini, at Indian Wells and the US Open last year.

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"I've been wanting this one for a while now," Jovic said in her on-court interview. "Had a couple of tough losses. I'm so happy to get through that barrier and get that win today."

In her press conference, Jovic revealed that she had been given some "very attentive tips" from former ATP World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in a conversation the previous day to incorporate into her game.

"Just to open up the court a little bit better, to not rush into the shots all the time, find some more width," she explained. "So I tried to do that, and it ended well. So I'm just going to try to keep listening to Novak."

Jovic, the daughter of a Serbian father and Croatian mother, is still closely connected to her roots. She visits Serbia annually, both the capital of Belgrade and the southern town of Leskovac, where she has extended family. The link to one of Serbia's greatest athletes of all time is a natural one -- though she still finds it surreal.

"It's pretty insane," she said. "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."

Djokovic's pointers were evident in Jovic's relentless, side-to-side offense in a dominant 37-minute first set. It forced Paolini to over-press in response -- she tallied 13 unforced errors and just four winners in the opener -- but the two-time major finalist made Jovic battle hard in the second. Paolini adjusted her tactics, pumping high balls to Jovic's backhand and extending the rallies. Jovic served for the match twice at 5-4 and 6-5, but was unable to close the deal.

But despite those setbacks, it was younger player who got on the front foot in an impeccable tiebreak, taking the lead with sweetly-timed backhands down the line and reaching match point with a bold return winner -- her 20th of the match.

"I tried to focus on what I was doing earlier in the match," Jovic said. "Being really aggressive and controlling the play. I think when I served for the match, I got a little too passive -- so I told myself to go out swinging and it helped in the tiebreak."

The result continues a rapid rise for Jovic, who was ranked No. 191 this time last year. She captured her first title on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz in Guadalajara last September, and started 2026 in fine form by reaching the Auckland semifinals and Hobart final. Her record this year is already 10-2, and she'll have the opportunity to extend that further against Yulia Putintseva in the fourth round.