There will be many moments that Iva Jovic will take away from the 2024 US Open, including some moments that haven’t happened yet.

But it’ll be hard to top what she felt on 28 August, on a blisteringly hot day at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

It was the second round of the women’s draw at the Open, and in the late afternoon 95-degree heat, the 16-year-old from Southern California stood toe-to-toe with No. 29 Ekaterina Alexandrova with thousands of fans watching.

They were lined up 10 deep around Court 12, cheering every winner that Jovic smacked.

The teen lost the match 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in three hours and one minute, but gained so many new fans, and so much belief.

“It was such a motivating experience, and the support was incredible, definitely not something I was expecting,” Jovic said a few days later. “It stung not to get through and win, but it was so nice to show myself I could compete at that level.

“Honestly,” she continued, “I think the Top 10 junior girls are so good, any of us could beat a top 50 (WTA) player, on any given day. We’re all really close to being on that level.”

While Jovic didn’t get to a first-ever third round at a Slam, she’s doing just fine at the US Open Junior Championships. On Thursday she won her fourth straight match, all in straight sets, beating fellow American Valerie Glozman 6-4, 6-4 to reach the semi-finals.

Jovic, who with Tyra Grant won the Roland Garros and Wimbledon doubles titles this year, has matched her Wimbledon achievement by reaching the final four.

“I’m very excited, definitely cool to be back in the semis,” Jovic said. “Hopefully I’ll have better luck (than at Wimbledon).”

Jovic began playing tennis as a toddler in the apartment complex she lives in with her sister, Mia, and parents Bojan and Jelena, and has loved the sport ever since.

She trains with coach Peter Smith at the Jack Kramer Club in Los Angeles, and while there has gotten to know and hit with two-time US Open women’s champ Tracy Austin.

“She’s really nice and always takes the time to talk to me,” Jovic said. “I see her doing her morning workout and we’re always right next to each other. It’s so nice to have her give me advice about staying grounded, mind your business. She’s super funny and I love talking to her.”

Kathy Rinaldi, the Head of Women’s Tennis for the USTA, said Jovic has everything a pro player needs.

“She's such a great young lady, so locked in, so mentally strong, and she wants it so badly,” Rinaldi said. “Her growth and development have come a long way; coach Tom Gutteridge and the other USTA coaches have worked on her strength and conditioning, her movement. She’s so professional.”

Ah, that word, “professional.”

For her efforts in the women’s draw Jovic earned $140,000, but she’s not allowed to keep any of it besides expense money if she’s to keep college eligibility.

Jovic said it’s a “tough” decision, one she’ll need to make by the end of the week.

“I’d like to keep college eligibility, but not sure how that’s possible,” she said. “It’s a lot of money. I haven’t made a decision one way or the other yet.”

Jovic, who beat WTA Top 50 player Magda Linette in the women’s first round, has been in the Big Apple for three weeks, and is definitely feeling homesick.

“I’m excited to finish this tournament and then go home, I’ve been in New York for a while,” Jovic said with a laugh. “Two more matches, and then I get to go home.”

The girls semi-finals will feature three first-time Slam semi-finalists to go along with the 'veteran' Jovic. Taking on the Californian in the semis will be unseeded Brit Mika Stojsavljevic, who continued her dream run on Thursday. The 15-year-old ousted 14-year-old American Annika Penickova 6-2, 7-6 to advance.

The other semi-final will feature No. 7 seed Wakana Sonobe of Japan, who beat No. 4 Teodora Kostovic of Serbia 6-3, 6-4, and No. 8 Mingge Xu of Great Britain, who outlasted No. 2 seed American Tyra Grant in a marathon match that lasted two hours and 38 minutes.

Xu prevailed 7-5, 5-7, 6-4 in front of hundreds of fans on Armstrong Stadium, putting two Brits in the semis.

“It’s one of the most unreal moments of my life, to play on this court in front of all these people,” Mingge Xu said in an on-court interview. “It was incredible to feel the support.”