RISING STAR

Teen American Ousts Tennis Star Twice Her Age in Stunning U.S. Open Upset

Iva Jovic is the youngest American to win a match in the U.S. Open main draw since 2000.

Iva Jovic will be returning to her California high school with some serious bragging rights. The 16-year-old pulled off a stunning upset Monday when she advanced past the U.S. Open’s first round at the expense of Poland’s Magda Linette, 32, who was a 2023 Australian Open semi-finalist. The victory was emphatic, too, with Jovic winning in straight sets. The upset made her the youngest American to win a match in the U.S. Open main draw since 2000. The teen now as a matchup against the world No. 31 Ekaterina Alexandrova, of Russia, in a second round match that’s scheduled for Wednesday. “Surprised, but not surprised,” Jovic said after her victory, reported the Associated Press. The teen told the AP that she grew up playing soccer and competing in gymnastics and swimming, but gravitated toward tennis after training with her older sister on a court built atop their apartment complex in Torrance, California. “I’m on a good path, but there’s a lot more to do,” she said Monday.