Iva Jovic didn’t just reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open. She tore into it at full speed. The 18-year-old dismantled Yulia Putintseva 6–0, 6–1 in just 53 minutes, producing one of the most one-sided performances of the tournament and announcing herself as a genuine problem for anyone left in the draw.
It was Jovic’s maiden appearance in the second week of a major, but she played like someone who had been there for years. Calm, ruthless, and completely unbothered by Putintseva’s experience, she won the first ten games of the match and never loosened her grip.
A Bagel Served Without Mercy
The only moment of uncertainty came early. Jovic faced two break points in her opening service game but escaped, and that was the last invitation she offered. From there, the American flattened the match.
She broke Putintseva three times in the first set, conceding almost nothing on serve and dominating return games with startling authority. In 25 minutes it was 6–0, built on brutal efficiency: 76 percent of service points won, 71 percent of return points claimed, and nine winners to Putintseva’s three. The Kazakh won just 20 percent of first-serve points and looked increasingly incredulous as the scoreboard ran away from her.
Putintseva vs Jovic – Set One Stats
| Statistic | Putintseva | Jovic |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.33 | 3.00 |
| Winners | 3 | 9 |
| Unforced Errors | 7 | 5 |
| Serve Rating | 120 | 311 |
| Aces | 0 | 2 |
| Double Faults | 2 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 59% (10/17) | 59% (10/17) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 20% (2/10) | 80% (8/10) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 43% (3/7) | 71% (5/7) |
| Break Points Saved | 25% (1/4) | 100% (2/2) |
| Service Games | 0% (0/3) | 100% (3/3) |
| Ace % | 0% | 11.8% |
| Double Fault % | 11.8% | 5.9% |
| Return Rating | 49 | 312 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 20% (2/10) | 80% (8/10) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 29% (2/7) | 57% (4/7) |
| Break Points Won | 0% (0/2) | 75% (3/4) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/3) | 100% (3/3) |
| Pressure Points | 17% (1/6) | 83% (5/6) |
| Service Points | 29% (5/17) | 76% (13/17) |
| Return Points | 24% (4/17) | 71% (12/17) |
| Net Points | 0% (0/2) | 83% (5/6) |
| Total Points | 26% (9/34) | 74% (25/34) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 2 | 6 |
| Service Games | 0% (0/3) | 100% (3/3) |
| Return Games | 0% (0/3) | 100% (3/3) |
| Total Games | 0% (0/6) | 100% (6/6) |
| Max Games In A Row | 0 | 6 |
| Set 1 Duration | 0h25m | |
Control, Composure, Closure
The second set followed the same script. Jovic broke early, broke again, and surged to 4–0, extending her run to ten straight games. Putintseva finally got on the board after Jovic briefly dipped on first-serve percentage, reacting with a wry smile as the crowd acknowledged the lone hold.
It changed nothing. Jovic regrouped immediately, closed out the match 6–1, and walked off having struck 17 winners to just four, winning 73 percent of second-serve points and barely allowing Putintseva to breathe in extended rallies.
Putintseva vs Jovic – Set Two Stats
| Statistic | Putintseva | Jovic |
|---|---|---|
| Dominance Ratio | 0.56 | 1.80 |
| Winners | 1 | 8 |
| Unforced Errors | 12 | 10 |
| Serve Rating | 124 | 291 |
| Aces | 0 | 1 |
| Double Faults | 1 | 0 |
| 1st Serve % | 63% (12/19) | 81% (17/21) |
| 1st Serve Points Won | 33% (4/12) | 59% (10/17) |
| 2nd Serve Points Won | 29% (2/7) | 75% (3/4) |
| Break Points Saved | 63% (5/8) | 50% (1/2) |
| Service Games | 0% (0/3) | 75% (3/4) |
| Ace % | 0% | 4.8% |
| Double Fault % | 5.3% | 0% |
| Return Rating | 141 | 276 |
| 1st Return Points Won | 41% (7/17) | 67% (8/12) |
| 2nd Return Points Won | 25% (1/4) | 71% (5/7) |
| Break Points Won | 50% (1/2) | 38% (3/8) |
| Return Games | 25% (1/4) | 100% (3/3) |
| Pressure Points | 60% (6/10) | 40% (4/10) |
| Service Points | 32% (6/19) | 62% (13/21) |
| Return Points | 38% (8/21) | 68% (13/19) |
| Net Points | 0% (0/1) | 33% (1/3) |
| Total Points | 35% (14/40) | 65% (26/40) |
| Match Points Saved | 0 | 0 |
| Max Points In A Row | 3 | 8 |
| Service Games | 0% (0/3) | 75% (3/4) |
| Return Games | 25% (1/4) | 100% (3/3) |
| Total Games | 14% (1/7) | 86% (6/7) |
| Max Games In A Row | 1 | 4 |
| Set 2 Duration | 0h29m | |
What It Means for Sabalenka
This was no isolated flash. Jovic had already shaken the draw by knocking out world No.7 Jasmine Paolini in round three, but few saw this coming. A year ago, she arrived in Melbourne ranked No.191. This win alone guarantees her a Top 20 debut and caps a start to 2026 that now reads eight wins from nine matches.
Next comes the real examination: Aryna Sabalenka, the world No.1 and two-time Australian Open champion, who has won 24 of her last 25 matches in Melbourne. On paper, it’s a mismatch.
On form alone, Jovic has earned the right to make it uncomfortable.
Novak Djokovic On Iva Jovic
At Djokovic’s most recent press conference he was asked for his thoughts on the young American.
“I first met Iva last year. She’s so young, only 18, and already making big strides in the rankings. She’s had some great results and she’s into the fourth round,” he said.
“We ran into each other yesterday in the press area and I was able to share a few of my observations about her game with her. I guess that stays between us,” added the ten-time Australian Open champion. “I saw that she revealed in her press conference what I told her. That’s fine. It’s up to her whether she wants to share it.”
“I really like her. She’s a great girl, she has a very nice family, and of course I feel a stronger emotional connection because of her Serbian background, so I try even more. She definitely has all the tools to be a future champion, a future world No.1, and that’s exactly what I wish for her.”