Iva Jovic successfully defended her WTA title at the Guadalajara Open by beating Peyton Stearns in straight sets.
The American teenager won her maiden WTA title at the Mexican tournament and she capitalised on the weaker field to claim the title once again.
Jovic was the second seed at the WTA 500 tournament and she defeated the likes of Cristina Bucsa, Zeynep Sonmez, and Magdalena Frech in her title winning run.
By successfully defending her title, the young American has claimed 451 ranking points which has seen her climb to world No 13 in the WTA Tour rankings for the first time in her career.
Jovic has also claimed $185,000 in prize money for winning the Guadalara Open, which takes her total haul for 2026 up to $2,389, 288.
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In her on-court interview after claiming the title, Jovic said: “Oh my gosh, guys. What can I say? It’s amazing to be back here in the final with this beautiful trophy and this sombrero. And thank you guys for staying throughout this throughout this rain.
“We’re having a nice little moment here. Honestly, I love it here. You guys have given me so much energy. The crowd is my favorite thing about coming here. So, thank you so much for being here.
“Um, okay, I’m gonna make this fast, but thank you to my coaches, Gabe and Tom. Thank you to Integral. Thank you to the Gustavos. Thank you to the Ball Kids umpires.
“Everyone for making this possible. My sponsors as well. And stay dry everyone. But thank you so much. It’s amazing to be back.”
Jovic will now head to the final Masters tournament of the year on the WTA Tour at the China Open, where the field will be far more stacked than the Guadalajara Open.
The American should, however, be praised for capitalising on the weaker field at the Mexican tournament.
It’s astonishing that so many players miss the WTA 500 tournament, especially if they have exited the US Open in the first week.
It’s a surprise that the likes of Alex Eala, Mirra Andreeva, Amanda Anisimova, and Madison Keys have opted not to make the short hop to Mexico to start their final stretch of the season in the best fashion possible.
Marta Kostyuk and Jovic were the only two members of the WTA Tour top 20 at the tournament, so it could have been very successful for any top star who made the journey to Mexico.
Jovic’s foresight has seen her become a two-time WTA champion as a teenager, which is sensational work.
