Jovic juggernaut crushes Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 to set up dream Sabalenka quarterfinal
Iva Jovic defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 on Sunday to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open. Next stop : the World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka.
Iva Jovic, Australian Open 2026 | © Imago / PsNewz
Iva Jovic defeated Yulia Putintseva 6-0, 6-1 to announce herself as the most dangerous rising star in world tennis. On a humid Sunday afternoon in Melbourne, the 18-year-old American delivered a performance of terrifying clinical precision, surrendering just one game in a 53-minute masterclass.
By advancing to the last eight of the Australian Open, Jovic becomes the youngest player in the draw to reach the quarterfinals, doing so without dropping a single set across four rounds of elite competition.
Total Dominance and the Perfect Statistical Performance
The statistics from the opening set bordered on the impossible. Jovic, the No 29 seed, dropped only nine points total in a 25-minute opening frame that left the experienced Putintseva without answers. While the Kazakh world No 105 had reached the fourth round through gritty wins over Beatriz Haddad Maia and Elsa Jacquemot, she was utterly overwhelmed by the teenager’s depth and pace.
Jovic’s 11-2 start to the 2026 season has been defined by this aggressive consistency, but the level displayed on Sunday night reached a new peak.
Having already dispatched No 7 seed Jasmine Paolini 6-2, 7-6 (3) earlier in the week, as well as Priscilla Hon and Katie Volynets, Jovic’s run to the quarterfinals has been anything but a fluke. Her ability to dictate play from the baseline and minimize unforced errors has turned her into a “juggernaut” that the Melbourne crowd has quickly adopted. Despite her age, the American world No 30 displayed the tactical maturity of a veteran, moving Putintseva side-to-side and refusing to let her opponent find the rhythm that had seen her upset seeds in the previous rounds.
A Career First and the Ultimate Test Against World No 1
The victory sets up the most anticipated match of the tournament so far: a quarterfinal clash against the world No 1 and top seed, Aryna Sabalenka. For Jovic, this is not just a career first but a manifestation of a goal she set for herself twelve months ago. The teenager has been vocal about her desire to test her game against the absolute pinnacle of the sport, and she finally has her wish on the biggest stage of her life.
Reflecting on the upcoming heavyweight bout, Jovic remained remarkably poised: “I think I’m just gonna try to keep taking care of my side of the net. Obviously she’s number one for a reason and has had so much success at this tournament, but that’s what I want. I said it last year that I hoped to play her this year because you definitely want to play the best and see how it goes. I’m really excited.”
As she prepares for Tuesday’s showdown, the tennis world will be watching to see if the Jovic “insane” level of tennis can hold up against the defending champion’s raw power.
