Iva Jovic clinched her second consecutive title at the Guadalajara Open, defeating fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-4, 6-2 on Saturday night. Jovic, who also won her first WTA title at this event last year at the age of 17, finished the tournament without dropping a set. The match lasted 1 hour and 26 minutes.
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During the trophy presentation, Jovic expressed her joy at returning, stating, "It's amazing to be back here in the final with this beautiful trophy and this sombrero. I love it here. You guys have given me so much energy. The crowd is my favorite thing about coming here, so thank you so much for being here."
Fans braved a sudden rainfall for a brief trophy ceremony following the match, which concluded before the weather could become a factor. The final started competitively, with both players trading holds and preventing any break points until Jovic broke Stearns at 5-4, clinching the first set in 46 minutes.
Continuing her momentum into the second set, the No. 2 seed broke in the opening game, holding serve for a quick 2-0 lead. Jovic accumulated five consecutive games before breaking again for 5-2. She secured the match on her third championship point with a powerful backhand winner.
At 18, Jovic's second year on the WTA Tour has proven successful. She not only claimed her second title but also reached the final in Hobart and made her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open in January, where she achieved a Top 10 victory over Jasmine Paolini. These performances propelled her into the Top 20 for the first time in February. Following her win in Guadalajara, she is expected to reach a career-high ranking of No. 13 when the updated WTA Rankings are announced.
Jovic becomes the first player to win back-to-back singles titles at the Guadalajara Open, a noteworthy achievement in the tournament's brief history. She remarked, "I'm just happy with the improvements I've made throughout the year. I think I've shown that I'm a more complete and better player than I was this time around last year."
In doubles, Nicole Melichar-Martinez and Cristina Bucsa triumphed in a tightly contested final, defeating Momoko Kobori and Peangtarn Plipuech 6-2, 5-7, [10-5] in 1 hour and 32 minutes. This victory marks Melichar-Martinez’s 20th WTA doubles title, and for Bucsa, it is her ninth. Their win places them at No. 7 in The Race to Indian Wells, enhancing their chances for a spot at the WTA Finals.