Tea Kovacevic has taken the Tennis Europe Junior Tour by storm over the past three years. Ever since her debut in the 12&U Category in 2022, her star has risen as rapidly as she has amassed the 50-plus titles to her name. The Bosnian’s cabinet is overflowing with trophies and medals, which include the European Junior Championships, Junior Masters, Development Championships, and a plethora of Category 1 victories. The numbers speak for themselves. Here's our chat with the current European 16&U #8 and last year’s Player of the Year.
How did you get your start in tennis?
Well, when I was nine months old, I started to walk and my dad put a racket in my hand and let me walk through this tennis court we had behind our house. There's a video online about it and then after six or seven months my dad wanted me to, at one-and-a-half years old, roll the balls a bit and swing with the racquet. So I started some practice for tennis but then at four, I started to practice two times a day for the entire week. And then it just kept going like that. Sometimes three practices during the day. So, the schedule was always a bit tough, but maybe that's why I'm here.
Okay, so I guess you played a lot of junior tournaments in Bosnia and then moved around Europe?
Yes, a lot… a lot!! My first-ever tournament was in Croatia. I was playing Under 8 in Bosnia and in Croatia. I was also first in Croatia Under 10 and Under 12. I started to move across Europe to play Tennis Europe Under 12s. I got into the 12&U Festival when I was 11 - I got a wild card. That was my first ever big international tournament and then the year after the Festival I started, I won some 12&U Cat.1s.
What's your home city?
Gradiška, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in the north bordering Croatia.
Where do you mainly base yourself? Do you go back home to train in Bosnia or Do you move around a little bit or are you based in another country?
Well, this year was pretty complicated to practice at home with all the tournaments. I was home for only one-and-a-half months of the entire year. I was practicing with a lot of kids from the tournament and sometimes when I finish the tournament earlier, I go to the academies that I'm in and practice with people there. Sometimes I go to Belgrade to practice. So, I focused on travelling around and moving around.
You've moved into 14&U and you're winning most of your matches in 16&U as well, and it all happened rather fast.
When I moved to Under 14s, I started to play Under 16s also. I was with the Touring Team last year as well. So, this year I just kept going. I thought ‘why not let's try a bit of 16s’ and I won three Cat.3s so then I moved to Cat.1. I didn't tell myself, ‘okay you have to win this’ so it was more like ‘okay you have to compare yourself to the older players because if you want to move to professional tennis you have to get used to that’ so I told myself to try that as a challenge. I had beautiful performances in the Cat.1s and it is just an amazing feeling when you win a tournament that big. And yeah, so that's basically how I got into the 16s.
As the 14&U European Junior Champion, were you looking forward to being invited to Monte Carlo?
Yes, but I was trying to play Under 16 no matter if I got in as Under 14! (smiles)
When you go from 14 to 16, what differences do you see?
Great question and actually I've talked to my dad about it a lot when I play. Under older categories I usually focus on myself because there are older players who hit bigger and they're just stronger, they're taller and more athletic so I told myself that every time I'm playing older girls I try to play my best no matter what happens. I'm gonna try to hit the ball in the court, don't let them attack me. When I play ITFs I'm even better than under 16… I play even better and it's maybe just because of the age if I see the older players I tell myself, ‘Okay let's make myself proud let's make my dad proud, I can do it, they're not that much better’, you know, so that's my mentality when I play under older categories.
How do you combine your education and going to school, these classes, with traveling and tennis?
Right now I do online school. I'm homeschooled. So, when I am at the tournaments, my teachers basically give me something I have to learn, then they give me tests, and then I do the tests when I'm at tournaments or when I'm at home.
Between matches, it must be not that fun. If you want to talk or hang out with your friends, then you need to tell them “I've got to go study”!
(laughs) So it can be complicated sometimes, yes, but my school is really supportive.
Okay! And just thinking about favorites, in the tennis world, do you have a couple of favorite players, male or female, that you look up to even now?
Professionally, my personal favorite from men's is Novak Djokovic. and from women's it has always been Osaka. I really like her … everything, I mean. But if I look at who's the best now, definitely Sabalenka. I'm a big fan, big fan. And (Mirra) Andreeva … very surprising - she's just amazing! I would love to go as quickly as her into pro tennis. I’m really, really, really happy for her and her results and hope one day I can be like her!
Coming from a small country, you're in the press and people hear about you. Do you feel that pressure and that expectation?
Yeah, when I look at my federation and when I'm looking at people who are supporting me back home, yes there can be pressure sometimes like for example the European Junior Championships. When I see the Federation and people from Bosnia who support me, who are my sponsors there, I can sometimes feel pressure if it's an important tournament and you have to get results to keep the sponsors up. When I play big tournaments, I feel very, very much a lot of pressure, especially at the EJCs because it's the biggest tournament Under 14 in Europe or one of the best tournaments in the world. I was the second seed, so you know, if you lose before, like the semis or something, it can be like, “oh my God!” But, you know, the pressure can't keep me away from those results. I have to deal with it, I have to get used to it… always. So I'm going to try to do that!!
As for the Junior Tour, can you think of any tournaments that are your favorites, for whatever reason the reason may be?
My personal favourite Tennis Europe 14&Us are definitely going to be the Cat.1s, like in Germany, Renningen, that I won. But because of the hotel, the club, everything basically over there, it was just perfectly organised. And the kids over there, it was a nice level of tennis. My team was there and I really enjoyed myself … and at the Super Category in Düren as well. My personal favorites in the 16&Us were in Tolentino Cat.1 in Italy and Sarajevo Cat.1 as well, all because of the organization and the people. Just beautiful.
Looking ahead are there any tournaments on the professional circuit where you would love to play?
Wimbledon was always my favorite. I wish I had been invited to under 14s but I guess, yeah I guess we're going to move on to under 18s and the professionals now (smiles) … but yeah, Wimbledon was always my favorite!
What are your career goals?
Top three WTA and, if I can, my top goal is to win a calendar Slam!
That's a good goal to have!! You play a lot of doubles, do you have a preference?
You know, I think I might be better in doubles, honestly. But yeah, I’m there for singles and doubles! A lot of times they hit at me and sometimes it happens that I don't even try to but I get the ball back somehow! (laughs)
Have you played any mixed doubles?
Once in my entire life! I played Big Mo last year in December in Miami. I was playing mixed doubles with one 2009 guy from Luxembourg, Evan Palumbo. And we won the doubles there under 14, without losing a single game in the entire tournament.
That's impressive! As was your 2024 season on the TEJT … congratulations on an amazing season!
Thank you!
*Parts of this interview took place, at the 14&U EJCs in Most. Kovacevic went on to win the title, defeating Jana Kovackova in the final. She then went on to claim the girls’ 16&U Junior Masters title in Monte Carlo. As mentioned, she was then named girls’ 16&U player of the year, see her reaction below: