Mirra Andreeva, Victoria Mboko, Iva Jovic: Making the cases for each top teen

Remember how, not so many years ago, the great tradition of teenaged WTA prodigies seemed to have died on the vine, thanks to an increasing emphasis on size, strength and overall fitness—a trend that tipped the balance of power in favor of older, more mature competitors?

In January 2000, at the height of the Prodigy Boom, there were 17 teenagers in the WTA Top 100. But the bust was swift: by 2010 there were none. Now the tide may be turning again, with six teens in the the Top 100 and three in the Top 30: Mirra Andreeva, just 18 and ranked No. 7, Victoria Mboko, a 19-year old ranked No. 16, and No. 27-ranked Iva Jovic, also 18.

All three appeared in the finals of Australian Open tune-up events. In an Adelaide eye-opener, Andreeva overpowered Mboko, allowing her just four games. In Hobart, Jovic fell short in the final against streaking qualifier Elisabetta Cocciaretto.

“Between the three of them, watch out,” Tennis analyst Nick Monroe said during a discussion of the trio’s prospects in a recent Tennis Channel Live broadcast. “The sky is the limit.”

To make things sweeter, the three teens represent an engaging mix of styles and qualities. Here’s a breakdown:

Mirra Andreeva

• 2025 Australian Open result: Fourth round
• 2026 Australian Open first round: Defeated Donna Vekic, 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
  • Second-round opponent: Maria Sakkari

Is it even possible to describe an 18-year old as an “elder statesman?” If so, Andreeva plays the role for this group. She is seasoned, coming off a year that kicked into gear when she became the youngest player (just 17 at the time) to win back-to-back WTA 1000 tournaments since Martina Hingis in 1997 (Dubai, Indian Wells). She played quarterfinals at both Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

But just as notably, Andreeva crashed at the back end of the season. She struggled with fatigue and the pressure attending her rise in May to a dizzying, career-high ranking of No. 6. She went just 5-5 following the Wimbledon break, and failed to qualify for the WTA Finals. Andreeva consoled herself by finally acquiring the puppy her mother had promised, an ultra-mini labradoodle that she named Rassy.

“I felt like I was putting pressure on myself,” Andreeva told the media in Adelaide just days ago, referring to the end of last season. “I was expecting myself to play at the same level throughout the whole year, which I now understand was not really possible."

Last year it was a very good experience for me—to win, but also not to have any titles after that. It was a good learning experience.

Although Andreeva has plenty of power and adequate size at 5-foot-9, she doesn’t really have a “big game” in the manner of an Aryna Sabalenka or Elena Rybakina. What she has, instead, is an expansive game that incorporates many elements that can make the court look awfully big to an opponent—a game you might expect from a smaller, craftier pro. Martina Navratilova has compared Andreeva’s ability to transition from defense offense to that of Carlos Alcaraz, while developmental super coach Rick Macci says she is “already an elite mover.”

Andreeva is an outstanding defender, and she can stay in rallies that force opponents into taking greater risk. She’s expert at re-directing rally balls, her serve is much improved, and her flat strokes take time away from rivals. She is also adept at improvising shots, and good at mixing up pace, often using slice or drop shots.

Victoria Mboko

• 2025 Australian Open result: Did not compete
• 2025 Australian Open first round: Defeated Emerson Jones, 6-4, 6-1
  • Second-round opponent: Caty McNally

It’s hard to absorb that at the start of 2025, Mboko was ranked No. 333 and competing in a lowly WTA 35 tournament. Over the next 12 months, the explosive, cat-quick Canadian posted results sufficient to earn a ranking inside the Top 20—and honors as the WTA Newcomer of the Year.

The highlight of Mboko’s fledging career occurred in late July last year, when she belted her way through (among others) four Grand Slam singles champions (Sofia Kenin, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka) to win her de facto Canadian national championships at the Montreal WTA 1000. She called the experience “surreal” (but in a good way). Subsequent events may be even more telling that that dream run.

After the spectacular breakthrough, Mboko lost her next four first-round matches, starting at the US Open. Put it down to the shock of unfamiliar ranking territory. She was a disappointing 2-7 going into the last WTA main tour event of the year (Hong Kong). But instead of calling the year done and dusted, Mboko mounted a furious finish to win the tournament. That kind of resilience spoke volumes.

Nathalie Tauziat, Mboko’s coach, describes the 5-foot-10 righthander as humble, even “serene.” But inside that calm exterior beats the heart of a lion that finds expression in her fearless game. She has the power, desire, and a varied set of weapons—hat tip to Tauziat for that—that enable her to create major problems for anyone on tour.

Iva Jovic

• 2025 Australian Open result: Second round
• 2026 Australian Open first round: Defeated Katie Volynets, 6-2, 6-3
  • Second-round opponent: Priscilla Hon

When Jovic, then 16, learned that she had just become the youngest American to win a main-draw match at the 2024 US Open, her response was revealing. “I’m surprised but not surprised,” she told a reporter.

Jovic is a tennis prodigy for a variety of reasons. But chief among them may be her precocious dedication to process. It’s truly something rare in an 18-year old. As she told Youtuber Christian Court not long after she won the WTA 500 title at Guadalajara last September, “Some players, when they get some success as juniors, they think they’ve made it. I’ve kept my head down, [knowing] there’s always more work to do. That kept me from getting to some plateau and getting stuck.”

The only place Jovic is likely to get stuck is at the top, where there’s nowhere left to go.

Developmental supercoach Rick Macci, in a reference to Jovic’s intensity, said she is “cut from different cloth.” Grand Slam champion-turned-podcaster Andy Roddick remarked that she has “power that you cannot teach.” Jovic has already won WTA titles on all three major surfaces.

“Playing on all these different surfaces has forced me to work on things that I am not as comfortable with,” Jovic has said. “It has helped my development as an athlete.”

Notably, Jovic earned her way into the Australian Open and Roland Garros last year by winning the wild-card challenge series of run-up events. And after competing on the Asian swing in the fall, she ended her season at the Austin 125, just to get in a few more reps. She has a fierce appetite for competition and aggressive play, with a still evolving attacking game.