🎾 Iva Jovic vs. Renata Zarazua

WTA French Open

🎾 Iva Jovic vs. Renata Zarazua – Round 1 Preview

🧠 Form & Context

Renata Zarazua
🎓 Where it began: Claimed her first-ever Slam win at Roland Garros in 2020, defeating Elsa Jacquemot. Since then, she’s slowly built a more consistent Grand Slam résumé.
📈 Recent Slam success: Beat Caroline Garcia at the 2024 US Open and Taylor Townsend at the 2025 Australian Open, giving her a respectable 3–3 first-round Slam record.
📉 Post-Melbourne struggles: Has not won a main draw match since leaving Australia—seven straight losses at tour level.
🌱 Clay familiarity: Naturally suited to slower surfaces with her grinding, spin-heavy style and willingness to extend rallies.
Iva Jovic
🌟 Teen rising fast: At 17 years old, already has two Grand Slam main draw wins (Linette at USO, Párrizas-Díaz at AO) and is making a name for herself on both junior and pro circuits.
🏆 Junior pedigree: Made three consecutive junior Slam quarterfinals, including Roland Garros, and reached the semifinals at Wimbledon and US Open.
🚀 Pro breakthrough: Cracked the top 120 and won her first W100 title in Charlottesville, proving her transition to pro is ahead of schedule.
🔁 Familiar rematch: Lost to Zarazúa in the W100 Tyler final in October (6–4, 6–2), but has since elevated her game significantly.

🔍 Match Breakdown

This is a classic youth vs. experience clash. Zarazúa’s craft and clay court nous make her a tricky opponent, especially for someone still finding her rhythm on the surface. But Jovic has already shown poise and power under pressure, especially at the Slams. Zarazúa’s recent slump raises questions about confidence and match sharpness. Jovic, by contrast, comes in with momentum and belief, having won multiple tour-level matches as a wildcard and lifted a Challenger trophy this spring. If the teenager controls her unforced errors and handles the long rallies well, she could flip the script on their last meeting.

🔮 Prediction

Zarazúa has the experience edge, but Jovic’s form, confidence, and recent improvements tilt this battle in her favor—especially if she’s able to dictate with her forehand and take time away from the Mexican. 🧩 Prediction: Jovic in 3 sets. Expect a close, physical duel, but the teen looks ready for revenge and a deeper Slam run.