18-year-old American Jovic to make COCO debut
Eighteen-year-old American Iva Jovic will make her debut at the 2026 Credit One Charleston Open, North America’s largest women’s-only professional tennis tournament, taking place March 28-April 5 on Daniel Island.
Currently ranked World No. 20, Jovic has climbed steadily up the WTA rankings over the past eight months. She broke into the Top 100 and then the Top 50 after capturing her first WTA title in Guadalajara in September 2025. Most recently, she advanced to her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 2026 Australian Open, rising into the Top 20 for the first time in her career.
She joins fellow Top 20 players Jessica Pegula, Amanda Anisimova, Belinda Bencic, Madison Keys and Emma Navarro.
“I’m excited to be playing Charleston for the first time. It’s a tournament with a lot of tennis history, and I’m looking forward to competing there next month,” said Jovic. “I’ve been building my game this year, week after week, and I'm focused on bringing a high level of tennis into my clay season."
At just 17 years old, Jovic captured her maiden WTA title in Guadalajara in only her 10th tour-level main draw appearance, reaching her first WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz quarterfinal, semifinal and final en route to the win. She became the youngest player to win a WTA title since Coco Gauff in Parma in 2021. This season, she advanced to the semifinal in Auckland, the final in Hobart and the quarterfinals at the Australian Open in Melbourne.
“We are proud to welcome Iva to Charleston for the first time,” said Bob Moran, president of Beemok Sports & Entertainment. “At the Credit One Charleston Open, we are committed to showcasing the next generation of talent in women’s tennis, and Iva represents the future of American tennis. Her rapid rise on the WTA Tour over the past year, highlighted by her first WTA title and a breakthrough run at the Australian Open, reflects both her work ethic and competitive drive. We look forward to seeing her compete on the green clay and to introducing our fans to one of the game’s emerging young talents.”
In 2024, Jovic made her US Open debut after earning a main draw singles wildcard by winning the USTA Girls’ 18s National Championships, and went on to secure her first Grand Slam main draw victory, becoming the youngest American to win a women’s main draw match at the US Open since 2000. Earlier that same year, she claimed two junior Grand Slam titles in girls’ doubles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
As the kickoff event of the WTA Tour’s clay season, the Credit One Charleston Open is held annually at Credit One Stadium and was named WTA 500 Tournament of the Year in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Tickets are currently on sale at creditonecharlestonopen.com or by calling 843-856-7900.
Provided by Credit One Charleston Open