Introducing Iva Jovic (17) and Julieta Pareja (16): The future superstars of American tennis

This week, the WTA 250 event at Copa Colsanitas in Bogotá is underway—one of the traditional clay-court tournaments that heralds the start of the season on this surface. While the event often flies under the radar, the 2025 edition has drawn particular attention for showcasing two of the most promising young talents in American women’s tennis.

Leading the charge is Iva Jovic, the more established of the two. Despite being just 17 years old and still eligible for junior competition, Jovic has committed fully to the professional circuit. Born in 2007, like fellow phenom Mirra Andreeva, she began her season at the Australian Open, where she received a wildcard into the main draw.

Jovic made an immediate impact by dismantling seasoned competitor Nuria Párrizas in the opening round before falling—albeit respectably—to World No. 4 Elena Rybakina in the second. That match showcased her immense potential, as she displayed poise and power beyond her years.

Since then, Jovic has continued her climb, competing in ITF Futures and a Challenger event before making her WTA 1000 debut at Indian Wells. There, she notched a main-draw win over Julia Grabher before facing Top 5 player Jasmine Paolini. While Jovic lost in three sets, she made headlines by dominating the second set 6-1 after a close first-set tiebreak, further underlining her rapid progression.

At Copa Colsanitas, Jovic reached the round of 16 before falling to Argentina’s Julia Riera—a player far more seasoned on clay. Still, Jovic impressed with a commanding first-round win over Alycia Parks, another rising American talent.

The second American breakthrough belongs to Julieta Pareja, born in 2009, who remains in contention in Bogotá. Unlike Jovic, Pareja is still alive in the draw and set to compete in the quarterfinals against France’s Leolia Jeanjean in a match scheduled for the early hours in Spain. Though not the favorite, Pareja has a genuine shot at victory.

This marks Pareja’s debut in a WTA main draw, having battled through the qualifying rounds to earn her spot. At last year’s US Open, she reached the final round of qualifying before falling to the experienced Kimberly Birrell. Like Jovic, she also appeared at Indian Wells recently, though she bowed out in the first round of qualifying to Ajla Tomljanovic.

Still, her run in Bogotá is a major milestone, and she’s proving she belongs at this level.

With both Jovic and Pareja making waves on the clay of Bogotá, American tennis fans have every reason to be excited. These two teens are not just the future of the sport—they’re already beginning to shape its present.