Starstruck Iva Jovic Appreciates – and Benefits From – Advice from Djokovic at Australian Open

When we talked to rising star Iva Jovic at last year’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, we learned that the American with Serbian roots was a massive fan of Grand Slam king Novak Djokovic, but she was too shy to talk to him.

“I have a picture with him but I still haven’t got a formal introduction,” she said at the time. “I’m a little bit shy. I don’t know, I was just talking about this with my coach, he has this aura when he walks in a room, you’re like oh my gosh Novak’s here. 

“He’s definitely very inspiring. I watched him growing up all the time. It’s nice to have someone to look up to that was that incredibly successful.”

Fast forward ten months, and Jovic, fresh off her first career Top-10 win, now has the 24-time Grand Slam champion feeding her advice.

After her victory over No.7-seeded Jasmine Paolini on Day 6, the No.29-seed from Torrance, Californa reported that yes, she has officially met the legend known as Nole.

“Actually I spoke to Novak yesterday a little bit,” she said with a smile. “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. That was one of the things in the forefront of my mind, because I think when Novak gives you some advice, you follow it.”

Asked to elaborate on the advice given, Jovic, who will face Yulia Putintseva in her first Grand Slam round of 16 match on Day 8, said.

“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.”

Jovic says it helps that Djokovic is a down-to-earth real-deal human who genuinely cares for the younger generation.

“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 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 advice.”

Djokovic was asked about Jovic after his third-round win on Day 7 in Melbourne, and he doled out some high praise for the budding star.

“I got to know Iva last year for the first time. She’s so young and she’s already making great strides in the rankings and making some great results—she’s in the last 16. So we ran into each other yesterday in the press area and I got to share some observations of her game,” Djokovic told Hall of Famer Jim Courier in his on-court interview. “I guess [what I told her] stays between us. I saw that she did give away in her press conference what I told her. That’s fine. It’s up to her if she wants to share.

“She has all the tools to be a future champion—to be a future No. 1—and that’s exactly what I wish for her,” he said.