Jovic goes back-to-back in Guadalajara, outduels Stearns in all-American showdown

This time last year, Iva Jovic enjoyed a breakthrough in Guadalajara, winning her first WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz title at 17.

Returning to the site of her first triumph, Jovic won her career second title. She didn't drop a set all week and defeated fellow American Peyton Stearns 6-4, 6-2 in 1 hour and 26 minutes on Saturday night to win the Guadalajara Open for the second straight year.

"It's amazing to be back here in the final with this beautiful trophy and this sombrero," Jovic said during the trophy presentation. "I love it here. You guys have given me so much energy. The crowd is my favorite thing about coming here, so thank you so much for being here."

Jovic's appreciation was matched by fans who stayed through a sudden rainfall, enduring what quickly became one of the shortest trophy ceremonies of 2026. Thankfully, the match itself finished before weather could play a role.

The final was tightly contested early, with the compatriots trading holds throughout the first eight games and neither generating a break point. That changed when Jovic broke for 5-4 and served out the opening set after 46 minutes.

The No. 2 seed kept pressing to start the second, breaking in the opening game and holding for 2-0 to extend her run to five straight games. She added another break for 5-2 and closed out the match on her third championship point, ripping a backhand winner down the line to seal the title.

Latest in long line of sophomore successes

For all intents and purposes, this marks Jovic's second year on the WTA Tour, and it has been a fruitful one. In addition to winning her second career title, the now 18-year-old made another final in Hobart and made her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the Australian Open in January, where she earned her first Top 10 win over Jasmine Paolini.

Those results propelled her into the Top 20 for the first time in February. She then reached the second week at both Wimbledon and the US Open and is set to rise to a new career-high ranking of No. 13 when the updated PIF WTA Rankings are released Monday.

On Saturday night, she became the first repeat singles champion in Guadalajara's short history -- a distinction worthy of a new nickname.

"I'm just happy with the improvements I've made throughout the year," Jovic told reporters. "I think I've shown that I'm a more complete and better player than I was this time around last year."

Doubles: Bucsa and Melichar-Martinez prevail in tiebreak thriller

Hours before Jovic's win, Nicole Melichar-Martinez became the third doubles player to win two Guadalajara titles when she and Cristina Bucsa defeated Momoko Kobori and Peangtarn Plipuech 6-2, 5-7, [10-5] in 1 hour and 32 minutes.

It's the pair's second title together; their first also came on Mexican soil last year in Monterrey. They finished runner-up at the WTA 1000 in Rome in May.

The victory marked Melichar-Martinez's milestone 20th WTA doubles title. Should she reach another final, it would be her 50th at tour-level. For Bucsa, it's her ninth doubles title. Her lone singles triumph came earlier this year in Merida -- also on Mexican soil.

The win is set to propel them to No. 7 in The Race to Indian Wells, putting them firmly in contention for a WTA Finals berth.