'I want to face Sabalenka!' Kostovic's dream draw comes true at Wimbledon

LONDON -- When Teodora Kostovic was asked after qualifying for her first Grand Slam main draw at Wimbledon which player she most wanted to face, the 18-year-old didn't hesitate.

"I want to face [Aryna] Sabalenka!" she said after defeating Zhu Lin 6-3, 6-4 in the final round of qualifying.

Less than 24 hours later, she got exactly what she asked for.

Friday's Wimbledon draw paired the Serbian teenager with World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the opening round. But Kostovic's motivation had little to do with playing on one of the sport's biggest stages, testing herself against a four-time Grand Slam champion or sharing the court with the tournament favorite.

"Let's see if she can deal with my power," Kostovic replied, raising her eyebrow. "Of course I can beat her. I can beat anybody when I'm in the zone."

Kostovic has been tipped as one of her country's greatest hopes for some time.

A former junior No. 4, Kostovic has enjoyed success on grass before. Two years ago, she defeated Iva Jovic to win the junior title at Roehampton, and she said returning to the same courts this week helped carry her through qualifying.

"I've never lost here," she said. "I feel like this is my court."

Kostovic turned her focus to the professional tour in 2025 and vaulted from No. 898 to No. 190 in the rankings by year's end.

Along the way, she also earned a reputation for her fiery on-court celebrations. That was on full display during her breakthrough run to the Madrid main draw, where she upset Elena-Gabriela Ruse 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(3) in qualifying. The pair did not shake hands after the match, but Kostovic has remained unapologetic about her competitive style, saying the tour will have to get used to it.

"I'm a big fighter," she said. "Yes, I fight for every point, and I think all the girls know that now. I will never give up. Even if I'm down 6-0, 5-0, 40-0, I will fight and fight, because that's me."

Naturally for someone born in Belgrade in 2007, Kostovic's origin story starts with Novak Djokovic. She attributes her in-your-face style to her childhood association of tennis with the rowdy atmosphere that developed at home whenever he played a big match.

"Oh my God, it was so stressful when he was playing on TV," she said. "My family -- my grandma, my dad, everybody went in front of the TV and they started screaming like, 'Beat them all! You've got this!' And I'm like, 'Wow, this is interesting -- I want to try this.' That's how I really fell in love with this sport."

Kostovic's ambition has been evident from the start. When she was 5 years old, she told her father she wanted to become "the best player ever" -- even better than Djokovic.

His response was simple: She didn't need to be the best, only to try her best.

Kostovic wasn't convinced.

More than a decade later, her goal hasn't changed.

"I know a lot of parents are really tough, and they make a lot of pressure on their kids," Kostovic said. "But my parents are so chill. Even if I lose some matches, they're like, 'We believe in you.'

"Other parents are pushing their kids, but I was pushing my dad to go to practise with me, to do extra practice, to do extra fitness. He always had to find time to do that with me, and I really appreciate it."

Kostovic -- who says she as competitive and driven off the court as on it -- is unfazed by the prospect of a show-court debut. In both her personality and her game style, she embraces the idea of tennis as pure entertainment.

"I like to be creative, to do some exhibitions on the court," she said. "Also for the people to have fun when they're watching me, because I love what I'm doing. I want to make them also happy."