Iva Jovic shares the reason why she hasn’t played a tournament since the Australian Open

Iva Jovic shares the reason for her WTA Tour absence

Despite her age, Jovic is taking a mature approach when it comes to looking after her body on the hustle and bustle of the WTA Tour.

Asked why she hasn’t played since the Australian Open, she responded: “Yeah, I think I just needed a little bit more time. I think I played the most matches out of anyone in the Australian swing.

“It was a lot, and I’m really happy with how it went. It was a great experience, and I won a lot, right? So that’s what you want.

“But I also needed to rest and train a little bit to just take care of my body. And now I’m feeling good and ready to go to be here in Dubai.”

Jovic begins her Dubai campaign with a first round match against lucky loser Kamilla Rakhimova, after the withdrawal of Maria Sakkari.

Where Iva Jovic is ranked ahead of the Dubai Championships

It’s a testament to Jovic’s start to the season that she is still ranked so highly, despite missing so many high-profile tournaments.

There was a string of 250 events, as well as a 500, and a Masters in Qatar, during Jovic’s absence since the Australian Open.

Despite missing two weeks of action, Jovic still sits at world number 20 in the WTA Tour rankings and there’s every chance she could go higher.

The American is just behind an out-of-form Emma Navarro, as well as Ludmilla Samsonova, who has already lost in the first round in Dubai.