Rising American tennis star Iva Jovic continued her rapid start to 2026 as the 18-year-old has been through to her second WTA final in Hobart.
After a slow start to the match, the third-seeded American staged a three-set comeback to beat Australian wildcard Taylah Preston 4-6 6-4 6-1.
Preston, who upset No. 1 seed Emma Raducanu a day earlier, lost her serve three times during the first set but still won the opening set of her Hobart semifinal after clinching four breaks.
After struggling heavily on her serve in the first set, Jovic stabilized in the second set as she broke Preston in the seventh game for a 4-3 lead. The 18-year-old then held on to her serve for the rest of the set to force a decider.
The third set was a one-sided affair as the American registered breaks in the first, fifth and seventh games to complete a comeback in style.
Pure resilience 💥
Iva Jovic secures her place in the final 🤩#HobartInternational pic.twitter.com/r8GaJjCGKq
— wta (@WTA) January 16, 2026
Jovic's impressive start to 2026
In her opening tournament of the year, the American reached the Auckland semifinal before losing to eventual champion Elina Svitolina. This week, the 18-year-old continued her fine form and won four more matches to improve to a 7-1 record at the start of the new season.
For the WTA 250 title in Hobart, Jovic will battle against qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto, who defeated rising Croatian star Antonia Ruzic 6-3 6-2. The 18-year-old American and the 24-year-old Italian will meet for the first time when they clash on Saturday.
If Jovic wins Hobart, she will win her second WTA title. The American was still 17 years old when she lifted her maiden WTA title in Guadalajara last September.
