Iva Jovic is quickly becoming a name that every American tennis fan needs to know. The 18-year-old Californian has been on an absolute tear, and she nearly pulled off the upset of the year against Coco Gauff at the Italian Open, holding a match point before the defending champ clawed her way back. She backed that up with a deep run at the French Open, where she bulldozed Emma Navarro 6-0, 6-3 before running into Naomi Osaka. It’s clear this kid has ice in her veins. But as with any great story, you have to look at where it all began. Let’s dive into the family that shaped this rising star.

Who are Iva Jovic’s parents?

So, who are the people behind the prodigy? Meet Bojan and Jelena Jovic. Here’s the kicker: neither of them has a background in tennis. They aren’t former pros or high-profile coaches. Instead, they are both trained pharmacists who built a new life in America from the ground up. Bojan hails from Leskovac, Serbia, while Jelena is from Split, Croatia. They immigrated to the United States in the early 2000s, well before Iva or her older sister Mia were born.

Today, they continue to work hard in their pharmaceutical careers, embodying the work ethic they’ve passed on to their daughters. They’re not just about work, though; they’re deeply involved in their community. Beyond their day jobs, they’ve instilled in their kids a sense of resilience and persistence, teaching them that nothing comes easy. Iva has openly spoken about how her parents started with nothing and had to re-certify for their jobs in a new country. That grind is the foundation of the Jovic household, and it’s clearly paying dividends on the tennis court.

Where did Bojan Jovic and Jelena Jovic meet?

Now, here’s a love story that sounds like it’s straight out of a movie. Iva revealed that her parents met and fell in love in their home country. But the crazy part? They came to America because Jelena won a Green Card through the immigration lottery. Talk about a lucky break!

“My mom got a green card on the lottery, so super random. They weren’t even married at the time. They were already in a relationship, but they got married, came here and they had to start from scratch,” Iva explained. It was a massive gamble. They weren’t established when they landed on U.S. soil; they were just two people in love with a dream and a stroke of luck. They got married, packed their bags, and took the biggest leap of faith, leaving everything familiar behind for the unknown.

What is the ethnicity of Iva Jovic’s parents?

If you’re wondering why Iva plays with such grit and fire, look no further than her bloodline. It’s a fascinating mix. Her father, Bojan, is Serbian, while her mother, Jelena, is Croatian. This Balkan heritage is a huge part of her identity and, quite frankly, her competitive spirit.

The Jovic household is proudly Serbian-speaking, and Iva has credited her parents for ensuring she stayed connected to her roots. “For my parents, it was really important to them that I spoke Serbian, so that I could speak with my grandparents, my aunts and uncles,” she said. She often visits Serbia, spending time in Belgrade and her father’s hometown of Leskovac. She even credits her “Balkan mindset” for her tenacity. It’s that mix of Serbian and Croatian heritage that gives her a unique edge, a stubborn refusal to lose that you just can’t teach.

Inside Iva Jovic’s relationship with her parents

The bond between Iva and her parents is incredibly tight. She looks up to them as heroes, not just for their success, but for their sacrifices. “I definitely look up to my parents. They work really hard with their jobs and to come to this country having to start from scratch and then work their way up, so I’ve learned you know you have to earn everything you have you have to work hard and just have to be persistent,” she told the Tennis Channel.

Her dad, Bojan, has been particularly influential on her tennis style. While he’s not her official coach, he’s the one who built her foundation. “Mostly my dad was the first one. He kind of taught me the style of tennis that he wanted me to play. He drilled the right mentality in me and just playing with good intentions, which I think is what gets success in the long run,” Iva said. They aren’t just parents; they are the architects of her career, providing the emotional and mental scaffolding needed to survive the brutal world of professional tennis.

The future is blindingly bright for Iva Jovic. She’s already proven she can hang with the best, pushing Coco Gauff to the brink and making deep runs in Grand Slams. With the US Open on the horizon, she’s going to be a dangerous floater in the draw. If she can channel that fire she inherited from her parents and that “Balkan mindset” she loves so much, there’s no telling how far she can go. One thing is for sure: whenever she steps on the court, she’ll have her biggest fans, Bojan and Jelena, watching from the stands, proud of the American dream they helped build.