Serbian athlete Iva Sepa shines as a freshman tennis player at Grand Canyon University while navigating the challenges of living in a new country. (Photo provided by GCU Athletics)
PHOENIX – Serbia is known for producing elite athletes such as basketball’s Nikola Jokic, men’s tennis’ Novak Djokovic and soccer’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, but tennis is the most popular because of its price. It’s one of the sports without it.
But Iva Sepa is using tennis as a way to adapt to her move from Serbia to Phoenix. She is a freshman studying business information there and is on the Grand Canyon University women’s tennis team.
“I started playing tennis when I was eight years old. Actually, my grandmother was a big tennis fan, so she took me to the tennis court,” Sepa said.
Over time, her love for the game blossomed and she continued to play. Sepa’s main goal before coming to the United States was to play tennis professionally in Serbia, until GCU coach Katarina Adamovic, also from Serbia, came to scout Sepa.
“When we were scouting her, we had heard a lot of good things from other coaches in Serbia and our connections, but when we got to sit down with her and talk to her and her father, this person I knew this was the kind of guy I wanted to be in my program,” Adamovich said.
Since moving to Arizona and living away from home, her family has been her main support throughout the process. While Sepa is in Arizona, she has already experienced many adjustments.
“The biggest change was living in a different country, not speaking the language anymore, and being surrounded by a different culture,” Sepa said. “It’s completely different.”
Another big change is the state’s nutrition. Sepa has tried a variety of American dishes, including pasta, pizza, and burgers, and recently tried sushi. Sepa’s transfer wasn’t something to be nervous about. I’ve settled down to a certain extent now and am enjoying my time here.
“I was actually very excited and very happy to be here. I’m still here because this is unreal. For me, this is a dream,” Sepa said.
Sepa had a strong freshman season, posting a 4-1 record in singles. Her doubles record with Laila Bashir and Elizaveta Morozova is 6 wins and 2 losses. It’s a learning curve for both parties.
“Right now, it’s like one person is in the net, the other person is behind me, and I’m always the only one in the net,” Bashir said. “So it’s just a little adjustment to get used to it. I think we’ve made some progress and we’re trying to figure it out.”
Sepa had been playing tennis in Serbia for a long time, but in his first few months in Arizona, he noticed a difference in the way tennis was played in Serbia.
“The difference here (Arizona) is unreal,” Sepa said. “We have many other opportunities to play with good players. We also have good coaches, fitness and dentists. We have treatments that we don’t have very often in Serbia.”
Since joining the team, she has had a positive influence on Adamovic, Bashir and everyone else on the team who adore her.
“When she (Iva) got here, she was a great teammate. She stepped up as a freshman and played at a high level and accepted being part of a team instead of playing alone.” said Adamovic.
“She’s a very personable and funny person, and the rest of her teammates will probably agree with that,” Bashir said. “She’s a friendly person who’s kind of the comic relief, and she’s great to be around.”
Serbia is a country that is not often talked about, but there is something very interesting about this country.
“We ate great food that probably not many people would eat. We have great athletes. This country is really beautiful and lovely,” said Sepa, adding that his favorite Serbia The dish is cevapi, a grilled minced meat dish.
Lopez is on the road for Friday’s game against North Texas. With the WAC tournament starting on April 18th rapidly approaching, each game will be an important point going forward.