What do you call young stars shining on the tennis court? For many, the answer came when Nikola Bartunkova stunned defending champion Magdalena Frech to storm into her first WTA semi-final at the Guadalajara Open. The drama didn’t stop there. Tatjana Maria and Jelena Ostapenko fell to shock defeats, while American Iva Jović and Colombian Emiliana Arango surged deeper into the draw, proving the next generation has arrived. But the spotlight wasn’t only on the players. In a heart-stealing moment, the crowd erupted as a ball boy stole the show during Jovic’s thriller, turning a tense clash into an unforgettable spectacle.

During Iva Jović’s clash with Nikola Bartunkova, the Akron Tennis Stadium erupted as a spirited ball boy stole the spotlight. He danced across the court with wild, joyful moves, sending the crowd into a frenzy. The moment went viral when the WTA Instagram page shared the clip with the caption, “Little bro bringing the vibes in Guadalajara 🕺😂,” making this a feel-good celebration of pure tennis joy.

In fact, he upped the feel-good factor of tennis so much that it warranted quite a bit of admiration from the commentators of the match. It wasn’t a one time affair. The dancing young man had been going at it for the past week, from what we gather from the commentary in the clip. While one of them took inspiration, “This young man’s done a great job all week. This guy is so inspirational for me. I am getting out and I am with him all the way,” she also nudged her counterpart to showcase some of her own moves, “You know, we’ve got to pick up some of those dance moves. I think you’ve got those in you.”

This prompted the other commentator to laugh at herself, “I don’t think anybody needs to see this from me.” However, she tipped her hat to the man with the groovies, “I just love his confidence. I mean, I’ve seen him obviously all week, he’s been coming out there.” Tennis in all its seriousness, deserves to have some fun once in a while. This fun factor cameo at the Guadalajara Open isn’t the first of its kind. The same enthusiastic ball boy, who goes by the name Mateo, was spotted at the Merida Open in Mexico earlier this season in March, prompting an Instagram post from sports events host and producer, Andrew Krasney. Seems like Mexico has more to offer in its tournaments than just intense on-court action.

The match progressed into a late-night thriller as Iva Jovic, the youngest player inside the Top 100 of the PIF WTA Rankings, battled past fellow teenager Nikola Bartunkova 6-3, 6-7(5), 6-3. Bartunkova required a medical timeout for a right thigh issue during the third set, but Jovic stayed composed, refused to break, and powered through to secure her place in the final.

Jovic will now face Colombian Emiliana Arango for the title, with both chasing their maiden WTA singles crown. The winner will join Maya Joint (Rabat), Lois Boisson (Hamburg), and Victoria Mboko (Montreal) as first-time champions this season. The American has endured marathon matches all week and promises to pour everything into this clash, determined to turn her dream into a trophy.

Rising star Iva Jovic secures first tour-level final

To reach her first tour-level final, after lifting a WTA 125 crown in June, Iva Jovic battled through her second consecutive three-set epic against a fellow teenager. In the quarterfinals, the 17-year-old saved a match point to outlast Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva, and though she controlled most of the semifinal against Nikola Bartunkova, it still took her nearly three hours to seal the deal.

Up a set and a break, Jovic suddenly found herself in trouble, dropping serve for the first time since the opening set to allow Bartunkova back in. In a tense tiebreak, Jovic raced ahead 4-0 and stood two points from victory at 5-4, but the Czech roared back to force a deciding set.

The third set became a war of attrition. Bartunkova took a medical timeout midway through but kept fighting, forcing Jovic to dig deep. In the final game, Bartunkova saved two match points and earned four break chances, yet Jovic’s fearless hitting, punctuated by just her second ace, carried her over the finish line.

Jovic’s path to the final began with a gritty 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 win over Poland’s Katarzyna Kawa. She then swept past Camila Osorio in the second round with an efficient 6-4, 6-2 victory, setting the stage for her back-to-back three-set thrillers.

Now, with her confidence soaring and her resilience proven, the question looms: can the young American ride this momentum past Emiliana Arango and capture her first tour-level trophy under the lights of Guadalajara?