Iva Jovic Makes History as Trhac and Fritz
Dominate the Grass Ahead of Wimbledon

Torrance native Iva Jovic is proving she’s not just a rising star, she’s already arrived. At just 17 years old, Jovic turned heads across the tennis world with a breakout performance at the Lexus Ilkley Open, held at the Ilkley Lawn Tennis & Squash Club, capturing her first WTA 125 title in dominant fashion and cementing her place among the game’s most exciting young talents.

Jovic’s road to the trophy was anything but easy. Competing in her first-ever professional grass-court tournament, the Southern California teenager had to dig deep through the early rounds. Entering the tournament unseeded, she rallied from behind in a gritty three-set battle in her opener against Rebeka Masarova and was pushed to three sets again in both the second and quarterfinal rounds, against Varvara Lepchenko and Talia Gibson, respectively. But once she settled into the surface, Jovic found her groove, and fast.

“I had to grind through some tough matches early on, but I’m proud of how I figured things out. I’ve learned a lot this week,” Jovic said.

The semifinal and final were showcases of Jovic at her best. She blasted past former World No. 35 and tournament No. 2 seed Viktorija Golubic, 6-0, 6-3, and then dismantled defending champion and No. 8 seed Rebecca Marino of Canada, 6-1, 6-3, in just 68 minutes.

“It feels pretty great, I’m just so happy to come out here and play a ton of good matches,” she said. “The first three rounds I played three sets and was almost eliminated, but I was just trying to fight and figure it out. I think I found my game towards the end of the tournament.”

The win not only gave Jovic her first WTA 125 title, it also catapulted her into the WTA Top 100 for the first time. After the rankings update on Monday, she is now ranked No. 89, shooting up from No. 115. She became the youngest player in that elite group and the youngest WTA 125 champion in history at 17 years and 191 days, edging out Northern California’s Catherine Cartan “CiCi” Bellis’ 2016 record by 42 days. Just one year ago, Jovic was barely inside the Top 400.

“There’s not as much adjustment for me on the grass,” Jovic added. “I like how I’m able to naturally play on it. Clay is a bit more of an adjustment for me, but here it’s more natural and hopefully I can keep the results coming. Hopefully I can make the main draw at Wimbledon, I’m super excited to play there.”

With titles now on grass (W125 Ilkley), clay (W100 Charlottesville), and hard courts (W100 Bonita Springs) this season, Jovic has quietly pulled off one of the rarest accomplishments in tennis: sweeping all three surfaces before turning 18.

And her rise hasn’t just been limited to the WTA 125 level. Jovic has also reached the second round at three consecutive Grand Slam events—2024 US Open, 2025 Australian Open, and most recently, the 2025 French Open—each time earning her spot through USTA wild card pathways. Her run in Paris was backed by a dominant showing during the  USTA’s Roland Garros Wild Card Challenge, where she clinched the top spot in the standings thanks to her Charlottesville title. She went on to defeat Renata Zarazúa in the first round before falling to No. 12 seed Elena Rybakina.

The title in Ilkley is even more impressive considering this was Jovic’s first professional grass-court tournament. However, she’s no stranger to success on the surface, she won last year’s Junior Wimbledon doubles title alongside frequent partner Tyra Caterina Grant, marking their second junior major title together.

Now, Jovic’s focus turns to Wimbledon qualifying, where she’ll look to continue her grass-court surge on one of the sport’s most iconic stages.

Southern California had even more to cheer about in Ilkley thanks to San Diego native Patrik Trhac, who captured the men’s doubles title alongside Ecuadorian partner Diego Hidalgo. The pair claimed the trophy with a strong showing on the grass, adding a prestigious title to Trhac’s resume during the crucial summer stretch.

“It means a lot to win my first grass court title. Grass can be a tricky surface to adapt to, so getting this result gives me a lot of confidence in how my game is translating,” explained Trhac.

For Trhac, the Ilkley title marks his first career triumph on grass and his first of the 2025 season, a breakthrough made even sweeter by the presence of a familiar face in his corner: fellow San Diegan Ivan Thamma, a former UC Davis No. 1, and current Steve Adamson Academy coach, who has joined him for the grass-court swing as his coach.

“Having Ivan with me this week has been huge, his experience and positive vibes helped me stay focused and enjoy the journey,” said Trhac. “This win definitely gives me momentum and belief heading into the rest of the summer swing, and I’m looking forward to building on it.”

The two have known each other since childhood, making their recent partnership on tour a natural extension of years of trust and familiarity.

“The biggest growth I’ve seen in Patrik is his development as a doubles player,” Thamma said. “His ability to understand his strengths, and how he uses those strengths to complement his playing style.”

Thamma noted that the Ilkley title carried extra meaning for both of them, given the journey they’ve shared this season. “It’s a special title because it’s been a challenging year with a lot of ups and downs, and to get a title, especially on grass, means a lot.”

Like Jovic, Trhac has now won a title on every surface.

Beyond the result, Thamma was most impressed by Trhac’s composure in critical moments. “What has stood out to me the most is his ability to stay cool under pressure, and keep a very calm demeanor,” he added.

When asked how their dynamic has evolved since teaming up as player and coach on tour, Thamma said: “I wouldn’t say that our dynamic has changed too much. We’ve known each other since we were nine years old, and I think our respect for each other and understanding has evolved. It makes the tour and life on the road fun.”

With a strong support system in place and growing confidence on all surfaces, Trhac is poised for a big second half of the year. His Ilkley win not only highlights his progress but also underscores the momentum coming out of Southern California’s player development pipeline.

The momentum for Southern California players didn’t stop with Ilkley.

Rancho Santa Fe native Taylor Fritz added another sparkling chapter to his career with a grass-court title of his own. Fritz captured his ninth ATP Tour title, and fourth on grass, on Sunday at the BOSS OPEN in Stuttgart, Germany, defeating World No. 3 Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(0) in a rain-delayed final.

“It was not so great a clay season, so to come here and start the grass season off perfectly, I am super happy to get the title and to do it here,” Fritz said.

Known for his powerful serve and aggressive baseline play, Fritz was nearly untouchable all week. He didn’t drop a set or face a single break point throughout the tournament, firing 11 aces in the final alone and winning 88% of his first-serve points against Zverev. The victory marked his fifth straight win over the German and will propel him back up to World No. 4 in the PIF ATP Rankings.

Fritz’s rise is part of a larger surge for American men’s tennis. With Ben Shelton breaking into the Top 10 for the first time this week and Tommy Paul also holding a Top 10 spot, this marks the first time since 2006 that three American men are ranked inside the ATP Top 10, a significant milestone for U.S. tennis.

With the Stuttgart crown, Fritz becomes the only American man currently ranked inside the Top 5, trailing only Novak Djokovic among active players for most ATP grass-court titles. He is tied with Matteo Berrettini and Nicolas Mahut at four, three of which came at Eastbourne, another sign of his comfort on the surface.

From Ilkley to Stuttgart, the Southern California connection was undeniable this weekend, with standout performances across both the WTA and ATP Tours. As the grass season builds toward its biggest stage, Wimbledon, SoCal’s impact on the global tennis scene continues to shine.