American tennis prospect Iva Jovic won her first ever tour-level event on Sunday (September 14) after securing victory in the Guadalajara Open final.
The 17-year-old defeated Columbia's Emiliana Arango 6-4 6-1 in the western Mexican city to claim the WTA 500 title.
At 17 years and 283 days, Jovic becomes the youngest player to win a WTA tour title in 2025.
Before embarking on her campaign in Guadalajara, Jovic had not reached the quarter-final of a tour-level event, so her run in Mexico is a real breakthrough moment for her career.
First tour-level QF ✔️
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) September 14, 2025
First tour-level SF ✔️
First tour-level F ✔️
First tour-level title 🏆✔️
It’s a week of firsts for Iva Jovic! 📈#GDLOpenAKRONxSantander pic.twitter.com/EsWajB16LX
The teenager's impressive displays in Central America have seen her rise up to a career-high 36th place in the latest WTA rankings, after beginning the tournament as the world no. 73.
How the final in Guadalajara unfolded
The opening set in the final was tightly contested as the final five games saw neither player hold serve.
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Fortunately, for Jovic, she was able to land one more break than Arango and took the first set after failing to convert three set points in her previous service game.
Arango began to visibly struggle on the court due to sickness, leaving Jovic to take full advantage and land three breaks along the way to securing the second set.
Iva Jovic 🇺🇸 — champion of the #GDLOpenAKRONxSantander, the youngest title winner of the 2025 season, and tomorrow’s World No. 36.
— GDL Open AKRON presentado por Santander (@WTAGuadalajara) September 14, 2025
What a week it’s been, Iva! pic.twitter.com/HuKrEmDPV4
A key aspect of the American's winning display was her ability to deliver in big moments, as she converted six of 11 break points and fought off six of nine break opportunities that her opponent had.
In her post-match interview, Jovic showed appreciation to her opponent for battling through sickness during the match.
"You're such a great player, such a great person. I know today you weren't feeling your best, but you showed so much fight and gave the people a show," the champion directly told Arango.
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