RECORD DATE NOT STATED WTA, Tennis Damen GUADALAJARA OPEN WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN ARANGO VS JOVIC 14092025 GUADALAJARA, JALISCO. Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Foto de accion de Iva Jovic de Estados Unidos, durante el dia 7 del WTA Guadalajara Open, celebrado en el Centro Panamericano de Tenis de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico PHOTO BY IMAGENSHOP AGENCIA FOTOGRAFICA GUADALAJARA JALISCO MEXICO *** WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN ARANGO VS JOVIC 14092025 GUADALAJARA, JALISCO Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico PHOTO BY IMAGENSHOP AGENCIA FOTOGRAFICA GUADALAJARA JALISCO MEXICO Copyright: xIMAGENSHOPxAGENCIAxFOTOGRAFICAx
RECORD DATE NOT STATED WTA, Tennis Damen GUADALAJARA OPEN WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN ARANGO VS JOVIC 14092025 GUADALAJARA, JALISCO. Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Foto de accion de Iva Jovic de Estados Unidos, durante el dia 7 del WTA Guadalajara Open, celebrado en el Centro Panamericano de Tenis de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico PHOTO BY IMAGENSHOP AGENCIA FOTOGRAFICA GUADALAJARA JALISCO MEXICO *** WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN ARANGO VS JOVIC 14092025 GUADALAJARA, JALISCO Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico PHOTO BY IMAGENSHOP AGENCIA FOTOGRAFICA GUADALAJARA JALISCO MEXICO Copyright: xIMAGENSHOPxAGENCIAxFOTOGRAFICAx
American player Iva Jovic has amassed 36 WTA wins in 2026, which ties for the highest number by any player with Iga Swiatek, while she aims to lift consecutive titles at the Guadalajara Open this weekend.
The young American, 18-year-old Iva Jovic, the No. 2 seed from Los Angeles, secured her spot in the final with a victory over Spain's Cristina Bucsa, 6-4, 6-1, in the semifinal stage of Friday's play.
RECORD DATE NOT STATED WTA, Tennis Damen GUADALAJARA OPEN WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN ARANGO VS JOVIC 14092025 GUADALAJARA, JALISCO. Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Foto de accion de Iva Jovic de Estados Unidos, durante el dia 7 del WTA Guadalajara Open, celebrado en el Centro Panamericano de Tenis de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico PHOTO BY IMAGENSHOP AGENCIA FOTOGRAFICA GUADALAJARA JALISCO MEXICO *** WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN ARANGO VS JOVIC 14092025 GUADALAJARA, JALISCO Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico PHOTO BY IMAGENSHOP AGENCIA FOTOGRAFICA GUADALAJARA JALISCO MEXICO Copyright: xIMAGENSHOPxAGENCIAxFOTOGRAFICAx
RECORD DATE NOT STATED WTA, Tennis Damen GUADALAJARA OPEN WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN ARANGO VS JOVIC 14092025 GUADALAJARA, JALISCO. Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Foto de accion de Iva Jovic de Estados Unidos, durante el dia 7 del WTA Guadalajara Open, celebrado en el Centro Panamericano de Tenis de Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico PHOTO BY IMAGENSHOP AGENCIA FOTOGRAFICA GUADALAJARA JALISCO MEXICO *** WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN WTA GUADALAJARA OPEN ARANGO VS JOVIC 14092025 GUADALAJARA, JALISCO Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico Action photo of Iva Jovic of the USA, during day 7 the WTA Guadalajara Open, held at the Centro Panamericano de Tenis of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico PHOTO BY IMAGENSHOP AGENCIA FOTOGRAFICA GUADALAJARA JALISCO MEXICO Copyright: xIMAGENSHOPxAGENCIAxFOTOGRAFICAx
"There were so many ups and downs, but I was able to just hold firm on my serve and get through in straights," Jovic said after her semifinal win over Bucsa in Guadalajara. "There have been a lot of different things to deal with, to adjust to, and I've just been having a positive mindset through it all."
Jovic’s words show that she’s feeling the weight of having to defend her title for the first time ever. She rose to the highest-ever ranking of 13th in her career after winning, having only lost one set so far in the first four matches at the Mexico tournament.
Between Jovic and a successful defense of her title stands 24-year-old Peyton Stearns, who reached the final after defeating eighth-seeded Liudmila Samsonova 7-6 (7), 6-2.
"I think I started a little tense on my heels and she came out swinging; she did a great job with that," Stearns said after her semifinal victory over Samsonova. "Once I kind of settled and relaxed a little bit, I felt like I did a better job."
She required six break points to win the first set and then dominated the second set, which has been Stearns’ formula for success at the event after she knocked out the fourth-seeded Diane Parry of France in an earlier match this week.
However, the all-American final is much more significant when you take a look at what has happened behind the scenes.
Iva Jovic and Peyton Stearns set up first career meeting
Iva Jovic and Peyton Stearns will make their first career doubles court appearance together as they go head-to-head in the Guadalajara final next weekend in what could be described as an all-American affair. Jovic heads to the final on the back of wins over Poland’s Magdalena Frech and Turkey’s Zeynep Sonmez.
"There were so many ups and downs, but I was able to just hold firm on my serve and get through in straights," said Jovic, looking back at the difficulty of defending her sole WTA title to date.
"I think I started a little tense on my heels and she came out swinging; she did a great job with that," said Stearns, talking about her poor start against Samsonova but then improving in the second set.
Stearns qualified for the final match without being seeded and not ranked among the top 50 players, after she had already defeated Sloane Stephens, who was entered as a wildcard player, and Diane Parry, who is the fourth seed, taking her total WTA Finals to four, including one at the 500 level.
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Written by
Utsav Gupta
Edited by
Utsav Gupta