Iva Jovic turns to Eileen Gu’s viral mindset hack for Miami breakthrough

MIAMI, Fla.—Iva Jovic turned a painful loss in Indian Wells into a statement performance at the Miami Open presented by Itau, and she credited an unlikely source for helping her mentally reset: Olympic champion Eileen Gu.

The 18-year-old American suffered a three-set heartbreaker against Colombia’s Camila Osorio, holding three match points on her serve before falling 4-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3 in the BNP Paribas Open second round.

“I think I’m still maybe not completely over it!” Jovic said with a grin in Miami. “Matches like those are brutal…

“I just try to think of it, like, how can I play that match so that it never gets to 5-4 in the second set? You win two and two, and then you’re never in a position to be saving match points.”

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She did just that in Miami, cruising past former world No. 2 Paula Badosa 6-2, 6-1 to reach the third round in her first main-draw appearance. Afterward, Jovic revealed she has been leaning into journaling as part of her mental reset—an approach inspired by Gu.

"Shout out to Eileen Gu! She inspired me to do some journaling, as well," Jovic told press. “I loved her comments. Right now I’m (journaling) almost every day... So, thank you Eileen!"

Gu, the 22-year-old freestyle skier and Stanford student, recently went viral for describing her analytical approach to mental performance during the 2026 Winter Olympics.

“I spend a lot of time in my head, and it’s not a bad place to be,” Gu said in Milan-Cortina. “I journal a lot. I break down all of my thought processes. I think I apply a very analytical lens to my own thinking, and I kind of modify it.”

The technique, often referred to as metacognition—thinking about thinking—resonated with Jovic, who has quickly embraced the habit.

“I really like it,” Jovic said. “Sometimes when you have something you’re struggling with or a problem, half of it is just writing it down. And then you’re halfway to solving it. It’s helpful.”

Her growing confidence is also rooted in the work she puts in behind the scenes.

“I think for me, it just comes from knowing the work that I put in. I think I train a lot. I work very hard when I’m on the court, so I just trust that it’s going to pay off and that I’m doing the right things. So in those tough moments, I know I’ve prepared for this. I’m ready for what happens."

Already up to a career-high ranking and building a reputation as a quick study, Jovic has shown a willingness to learn from elite athletes across sports. Earlier this year, she also received personalized advice from Novak Djokovic during her breakthrough run to the Australian Open quarterfinals.

Next up, Jovic will face Australia’s Talia Gibson in the third round after Gibson stunned Naomi Osaka in straight sets.