When Iva Jovic burst onto the Grand Slam scene at the US Open last year, she didn’t just show up—she made a statement. At just 16 years old, Jovic stunned the tennis world by taking down 2023 Australian Open semifinalist Magda Linette, becoming the youngest woman in 24 years to win a main-draw match at the US Open. Talk about starting with a bang! Now, the rising star is back and making waves again, kicking off her Australian Open campaign by whisking past Nuria Parrizas-Diaz in the first round. But what’s behind her meteoric rise? Sure, her skills on the court are undeniable, but there’s something else fueling her journey to greatness: her dream team of coaches.

The rising American star will play her second match against experienced Elena Rybakina in the second round in Melbourne.  While Jovic is definitely the underdog against the Kazhak star, she has demonstrated the potential to wish out tough opponents. And helping her yet again will be her coaching team which consists of Kathy Rinaldi, Tom Gutteridge, and Peter Smith. So, how much do we know about them?

Rinaldi is a very well-known figure on the tennis circuit and has been coaching the young prodigy since September 2024. For the unversed, the coach has also served as the captain of the Billie Jean King Cup between 2016 and 2023 and has made some giant strides professionally. She was also announced as the U.S. Olympic team women’s coach, during the Summer Games last year, for the second time, after she led her team in 2017. Coming to her relationship with Jovic, she has been quite impressed with the young talent.

Speaking about the same, Rinaldi said, “She’s just such a hard worker and so aggressive and has just improved in so many aspects,” Rinaldi also lauded her growth mindset and added, “She’s just so tough. She just strikes the ball so well from both sides.” Notably, Tom Gutteridge, another important name in Iva Jovic’s coaching camp has also shared similar views. 

Jovic has been practicing under the watchful eyes of Gutterridge for quite some time now, who also focuses on her strength and conditioning. Gutterridge brings with him some great experience of teaching over 40 junior players who have received Division 1 College scholarships. He travels the most with Iva when she is out on tour and has often highlighted how ITF Tours have helped Iva, who won the Australian Open junior and Wimbledon junior last year, in the doubles category. 

“Iva has learnt a lot of different things – shot selection, the level of fitness she needs, physicality, weight of shot. She has learned about all these things by playing different opponents. She has been shown what she needs to do to reach the next level,” he said about the star player. But this is not the end of the help that the American star is receiving. Yet another name in her team is that of Peter Smith, who has been helping the rising star for quite some time now. 

Iva Jovic started honing her tennis prowess at the Jack Kramer Club, with the club’s general manager, Peter Smith, serving as her coach. Smith has been an iconic name when it comes to the list of top coaches in the United States. He has an impressive resume and has coached players like Lleyton Hewitt and Peter Carter, who then went on to work with Roger Federer. Besides, John Fitzgerald of Australia has also received guidance from the coach who has a vast experience of over 3 decades. 

With such a remarkable team by her side, Jovic cannot be happier and grateful. Speaking about the roles of Smith and Gutterbridge, she once shared, “They are a bit different, but both kind of have the same goals for me, and they communicate well. So I think it only helps me to have both of them and two perspectives.” Now, with such a remarkable team by her side, the young tennis star is indeed ready to face tough challenges, not just at the Australian Open but in her career in general.

Iva Jovic has some remarkable desires to fulfill

The young tennis prodigy spent much of the summer of 2023 recovering from a stress fracture. She remained away from the competition between March to August but there was one thing that remained unwavering: her determination to shine brightly on the tennis courts. 

Speaking about her goals. Jovic shared, “I want to be the best I can be.” She expressed her desire to dominate the courts and added, “I want to be in the Top 10. I want to be No. 1 in the world. I want all of those things.” Lauding her determination, her coach, Smith said, “Nothing stops Iva,” which further signifies her determination to shine brightly. And it is probably for this reason that her coach in fact took a surprising decision revolving around Iva’s career. 

Shortly after meeting Jovic and watching her enthusiasm and focus, Peter Smith told his wife, “If I cannot make her a pro, I should quit coaching.” But the situation did not arise as Jovic turned pro at a young age. Now, as her career unfolds, it will be interesting to see how her coaches use her zeal to give the WTA circuits, yet another formidable face. Will she dazzle us yet again in Melbourne? That remains to be seen.