If one were to check the official WTA site for head-to-head results between 18-year-old American Iva Jovic and 19-year-old Russian Alina Korneeva, one might assume the two players didn't know each other well. On the pro tour, Jovic had the victory in the only official meeting between the two. That's misleading.
The truth is that leading into the third-round match at the 2026 Canadian Open, the teenagers had played each other quite a bit in juniors. They knew the strengths and weaknesses of the other quite well, which goes a long way in understanding how the match unfolded.
Neither player held serve well, possibly because the returner already knew the tendencies of their opponent's serve. The outcome of the match appeared likely to be decided by whoever could manage to hold a few games in a row.
Alina Korneeva stuns Iva Jovic at the 2026 Canadian Open
In the opening set, Korneeva had the advantage. She broke Jovic to open the match, and again in the third game. In a matter of moments, the Russian led 4-0. The American was able to get a break of her own to get to 2-4, but that was as close as she would get. To finish off the set 6-3, Korneeva got yet another break. Jovic held only twice in the set.
The second set became a full-on mess for both players trying to hold serve. The first three games were all breaks, but Jovic finally held to lead 3-1. After Korneeva held, she got a break of the American. That would be the start of another three-game run of breaks. The set was 4-all with only two holds of serve.
Jovic entered the match as the higher-ranked player. She was the 13-seed in the Canadian Open, and No. 16 on the WTA tour. Anyone watching the match who didn't know which player was higher ranked would not have known from the play, though. Korneeva is ranked No. 89, with a career-high of No. 75, but looked every bit a top-20 player.
She might be as soon as 2027, too. She had excellent groundstrokes and moves around the court well. What she needs to work on, as well as Jovic, is her serve. She can strike the ball with force, but her precision is mercurial.
Stunningly at 4-all in set two, however. Korneeva didn't just hold serve, but did so at love. Having a returner not get a single point in a game was stunning by that point.
At 4-5, Jovic led 40-15, but as with both players' serves in the match, things went awry. Korneeva was able to come back and get another break, her seventh against Jovic in the match. With the victory, Korneeva is into the round of 16 for the first time at any WTA 1000 event.
Alina Korneeva won't have an easy time in her next match, most likely, either. She will take on the winner of the match between Coco Gauff and Maria Sakkari in the round of 16 in Toronto.
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