SoCal’s Iva Jovic and Emilio Nava
Punch Their Tickets to Roland Garros

Two of Southern California’s brightest tennis stars are heading to Paris later this month.

Torrance’s Iva Jovic and West Hills native Emilio Nava have earned main draw wild cards into the 2025 French Open after coming out on top in the USTA’s Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge, a springtime proving ground for Americans looking to make their mark on the red clay of Roland Garros. Both players used their SoCal-honed skills to rise above the competition and will now represent the U.S., and their home section, on one of the sport’s biggest stages.

The Challenge That Sends Players to Paris

Each year, the USTA and French Tennis Federation (FFT) exchange coveted main draw wild cards for the French Open and US Open, giving rising American players a chance to shine on the biggest stages.

The French Open Wild Card Challenge tests players over a five-week stretch of high-level clay-court events. Only their top three results count toward their final point totals, making consistency and resilience essential. Eligible tournaments included M25s and W35s or higher.

It’s a high-stakes opportunity with a history of launching careers. Past winners include Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul, and Emma Navarro, who used her 2023 Challenge win to make a memorable Grand Slam debut in Paris.

A Historical SoCal Sweep

For the first time in Wild Card Challenge history, both the men’s and women’s winners come from the same section, and that section is Southern California. Even more notably, it marks the first time a SoCal native has topped the standings on either side since the Challenge began in 2012.

Emilio Nava and Iva Jovic aren’t just earning spots in the Roland Garros main draw, they’re making history. While last year’s men’s wild card went to UCSB alum Nicolas Moreno de Alboran, this is the first time both wild cards have been earned by true Southern Californians. It’s a milestone moment that speaks volumes about the depth, strength, and bright future of tennis in this region.

Iva Jovic: 17 and Rising

At just 17 years old, Iva Jovic is quickly establishing herself as one of the most exciting young talents in the game. A year ago, she was ranked No. 509 in the WTA singles rankings. Fast forward to today, and she’s vaulted nearly 400 spots to No. 120, and is currently the junior World No. 5. With each tournament, Jovic isn’t just climbing the rankings, she’s sending a clear message: the next generation has arrived, and she’s leading the charge.

She topped the women’s Wild Card Challenge standings with 142 points, thanks to her championship run at the W100 in Charlottesville, Virginia (100 points) and strong showings at the WTA 250 in Bogota (30 points) and the W100 in Bonita Springs (12 points). This wild card into Roland Garros marks her third straight main draw appearance at a Grand Slam. She earned her place in the 2024 US Open by winning the USTA Billie Jean King Girls’ 18s Nationals last August, and she followed it up with another wild card into the 2025 Australian Open, where she reached the second round.

Jovic has been a rising force for years, but she’s truly coming into her own at the pro level. Known for her all-court game, fierce competitiveness, and poise well beyond her years, she’s turning heads on tour, and if you’ve watched her in SoCal junior events, you knew this moment was coming. From the South Bay to the red clay of Paris, she’s bringing her game, and her grit, with her.

Paris already holds a special place in her journey. Last year, Jovic and fellow American Tyra Caterina Grant reached the finals of the Girls’ Doubles at Roland Garros, proving she can thrive on the biggest stages, and on the clay. Now, she’s heading back, but this time, she’ll be doing it in the women’s main draw.

Reflecting on her transformation over the past year, we asked Iva what’s changed the most, on or off the court, and how she plans to bring that growth to Paris.

“I think I’ve become much more process-oriented nowadays,” she shared. “Now, I’m always setting goals, planning, and tracking my progress. [A year ago] I would just go through the weeks with a lot of passion and determination, but not necessarily with a lot of clarity.” 

With a clear direction of where she wants to go, we look forward to watching Iva dig deep on the clay!

Julieta Pareja Turns Heads

Carlsbad’s Julieta Pareja made plenty of noise in the women’s Wild Card Challenge, holding the lead through the first three weeks thanks to a breakout performance in Bogota. In her first-ever main draw appearance at a WTA event, the 17-year-old stunned the field by reaching the semifinals of the WTA 250, becoming the youngest player since Coco Gauff in 2019 to reach a WTA-level semifinal. Her fearless run on the clay not only turned heads but also marked her arrival as a rising star to watch.

Emilio Nava: Earning Every Step

On the men’s side, 23-year-old Emilio Nava earned his wild card the old-fashioned way: by winning, and then winning some more. His path to Paris was paved with grit and relentless consistency, highlighted by a 19-match win streak this spring that turned heads across the ATP Challenger Tour. 

Nava captured the title in Sarasota (75 points), reached the final in Tallahassee (44 points), and edged out a competitive field that included Ethan Quinn, Colton Smith, Chris Eubanks, and Eliot Spizzirri to finish atop the Wild Card Challenge standings with 119 points. Now, he’s headed back to the French Open main draw for the second time in his career.

Tennis runs deep in the Nava bloodline. His mother, Xochitl Escobedo, was a Top 300 WTA pro, and his father, Eduardo Nava, was a national-level sprinter. As the youngest in a family full of athletes, including cousin and former world No. 67 Ernesto Escobedo, Emilio has spent a lifetime surrounded by high-performance competition, and it shows in the way he carries himself on court.

A former junior world No. 5 and finalist at both the US Open and Australian Open Boys’ Singles events in 2019, Nava has steadily climbed the pro ranks by combining explosive athleticism with a bold, aggressive game style. He’s already held his own against elite players, including a memorable four-set battle against Casper Ruud at the 2023 US Open. With every season, Nava sharpens his game, and now, riding a wave of confidence, he may be poised for a true breakthrough.

Much of his recent surge can be credited to a new training base in South America under coach Diego Cristin, where Nava has fine-tuned his game for clay. But the most important shift might be the one between the ears: a renewed mental focus that he credits for his spring dominance.

“Staying calm in the tough moments and being able to breathe through any situation on the court has really helped me during this run,” Nava said.

With his game clicking and belief at an all-time high, Nava returns to Roland Garros not just to compete, but to contend.

From local courts to international stages, both Jovic and Nava are examples of how strong the Southern California tennis pipeline really is. They’ve put in the work, handled the pressure, and now have the chance to take on the world in the main draw of Roland Garros.

Next stop: Paris. SoCal will be watching.

Past Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge Winners:

2024: Sachia Vickery (1R); Nicolas Moreno de Alboran (1R) – UCSB
2023: Emma Navarro (2R); Patrick Kypson (1R)
2022: Katie Volynets (2R); Michael Mmoh (1R)
2019: Lauren Davis (2R); Tommy Paul (1R)
2018: Taylor Townsend (2R); Noah Rubin (1R)
2017: Amanda Anisimova (1R); Tennys Sandgren (1R)
2016: Taylor Townsend (2R); Bjorn Fratangelo (2R)
2015: Louisa Chirico (1R); Frances Tiafoe (1R)
2014: Taylor Townsend (3R); Robby Ginepri (1R)
2013: Shelby Rogers (2R); Alex Kuznetsov (1R)
2012: Melanie Oudin (2R); Brian Baker (2R)