From overlooked high schooler to ATP top 80, all you need to know about Aleksandar Kovacevic
Life began on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where he learned tennis at Central Park, transitioned through elite academies, earned NCAA honors at Illinois, and now competes at Grand Slams. His journey is proof that steady development and smart choices can challenge any assumption.
Struggles in New York, breakthrough in Florida
Born to Serbian and Bosnian ex-table tennis pros Milan and Milanka Kovacevic on August 29, 1998, Kovacevic did not follow a typical tennis route. Raised on Manhattan's Upper West Side, he first trained on public courts in Central Park at age five. His parents, upon noticing his talents, guided his early game before he moved into formal coaching.
However, in Beacon High School, Kova was far from a standout; he stated to ATP Tour that he 'was so far from so many of the guys that [he's] playing with now that it's almost incomprehensible.' At the time, coach Gilad Bloom saw promise and introduced him to John McEnroe's academy, where he continued training through his freshman year.
With homeschooling and a move to Florida under Rick Macci, his game and mindset shifted dramatically.
Illinois: Finding form and belief
The Cap Cana champion later enrolled at University of Illinois, earning a finance degree in 2021 and competing for five seasons. He described his transition to Sigrun as: 'Once I grew up a little bit I realized that I'm not just going to be a pro because people tell me I'm a pro, I have to work for it.'
After rising from No. 4 to No. 1 singles, he reached the NCAA semifinals in 2019 and became a two-time All-American. He attributed his win to his confidence won from beating player he believed better, 'I beat some really good guys that just kind of gave me that huge confidence.'
Pro circuit successes
Turning pro in 2021, Kovacevic won four Challenger titles in 2023: Cleveland, Waco, Shenzhen, Temuco and Oeiras-2. He then reached a career-high No. 72 in September 2024, and claimed his first Grand Slam main draw win at the 2024 Australian Open.
This was followed by his most notable win yet: defeating World No. 10 Andrey Rublev to reach the 2025 Montpellier final. As of July 2025, he ranks No. 76, trains in Boca Raton with Dante Bottini, and is sharpening his powerful forehand and indoor hard-court game.
Kovacevic is no overnight sensation, but his calculated rise and steady improvements have made him one of the most compelling American players to watch.
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