Jovic says the recent offseason has been a time of experimentation while also laying the foundations for a grueling tennis calendar. She tried different strings and considered “small adjustments” to the grip, such as making the butt cap larger.

“You can grip the racquet a little tighter, and the feel from contact is more crisp,” she says.

The physical work has made her more confident in her overall progress.

“I definitely move more professionally now. Before, I was more like a junior mentally, physically and everything,” she says.

Jovic is learning how to cope with the ups and downs of tour life, including the daily stresses, early morning flights and late night game finishes.

“In the past, we probably would have been down the rankings long before the final,” Gutteridge said.

Jovic agrees.

“Honestly, I feel like I’m learning something every day. There’s a lot of good and bad, throughout the week and throughout the day, so I can’t get too caught up in it. I try to just take things as they happen and accept whatever happens.”

A year ago, Jovic won the USTA Wild Card Challenge, earning a spot in the main draw and advancing to the second round of the Australian Open. She repeated this feat at Roland Garros. She did not compete in any preparatory events in advance to comply with WTA age eligibility rules that limit the number of events young players can participate in. Still, she made it to the second round.

This year, she says, things will be more calm.

“When you’re a wild card, you’re just looking around and you don’t know what’s going on or if you’re supposed to be here,” she says.

Jovic said with a laugh that he expects a tough match against the 94th-ranked Californian Volinets, who are six years older and played with him as juniors and “were nice enough.”

Jovic is going through a period of transition from being a teenager to an adult and from a promising professional to an elite player, but he admits he feels more mature for his age when it comes to the number of places he has visited.

“There aren’t many 18-year-olds who can say they’ve been to as many countries and seen as many things as I have, and I think that’s really special,” she says.

No doubt, passport stamps will continue to be stamped. And Jovic seems poised for a long stay wherever he lands.

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