Jovovic's game: “I like to pull the team when it's tough”

Talented Jovana Jovovic was born and raised in Crvenka, a small Serbian town with a proud handball history. Even though she grew up surrounded by sport and the stories of past success, the real trigger came from within family.

“My aunt, Ljiljana Vitas, played handball at a high level — she played for the Yugoslavia national team and for clubs like Crvena Zvezda and Radnicki Beograd. She ended her career early, at just 22, because of a back injury, and in a way I started playing handball because of her — to continue her path and to try achieve dreams she couldn't fulfil,” says Jovovic.

While Crvenka once had its handball tradition and champions, the reality when Jovovic started was far from the glory days. For that reason, with the support from her parents, she made a tough decision — to leave Serbia at 15 and move to Hungary. It was the start of building her career.

“We didn't even have cones for training. We made obstacles with bottles of water. We didn't have a gym.” She laughs a little, because it feels so far away now. “When I came to Hungary — academy, dormitory, gym, morning practice, evening practice, fitness, running on the track, handball every day, everything organised. It was such a big change,” explains Jovovic.

That move forced her to grow up quickly. A new language, dorm life, a new culture. But it all shaped her into the person she is today. Everything she learned in that period helped her on and off the court.

“It's a period I'll never forget. My biggest success might be learning Hungarian and speaking it like a native. That's something that will always stay with me and helps me today. Of course, friendships, travels too, but if I had to pick one thing, it's the language.

“The whole experience changed me a lot. I grew up surrounded by older people and I had to take care of myself. I think it made me stronger as a person. Today I can't imagine a 15-year-old leaving home. It's very tough. But with my parents' support I got through the hardest first years,” remembers the Serbian international.

Becoming a leader

Jovovic's handball journey basically started in Hungary, in the Dunaújvárosi Kohász academy, and her development was rapid. At 16, she played with the first team, when they were fourth in the Hungarian league, and her development rolled over into the national team as well, pushing her to the role she now carries.

“Already in the youth and junior national teams they called me the leader. I had that role in Dunaújvárosi too, and later in Moyra-Budaörs. I always managed to carry it. In Debrecen it was harder at first, because the level is higher and there are many good players.

“But after two and a half years, I fought for that role and position here too. And I love it. Of course, it comes with pressure. If the team loses and I don't play well, it's often said that I didn't perform,  and if I didn't, then the team wasn't on the right level. But I like to take responsibility. I like the game to revolve around me, and I like to pull the team when it's tough,” she admits.

Jovovic stood strong as a left back, often scoring incredible shots, but as her leader role grew, she was moved to the centre back position — a role which requires even more responsibility.

“I really like playing centre back, to be honest. Left back and centre back are two completely different roles, with different tasks. Former national team coach Uros Bregar was the first to put me there, and I felt it suited me. In Debrecen too, I was moved to the centre back this season and it demands analysis, thinking and responsibility.

“I enjoy organising, making the system work, involving everyone in the game. That fills me up on the court — when the team plays as one and everyone knows their role,” explains Jovovic.

However, when it's crunch time, it's often her shot that decides. “That's also part of taking responsibility. Sometimes you just have to go one-on-one, attack, and decide with a goal.”

Reading the game

Every player has a move that defines them, whether it is a strong back shot, one-on-one-play or assists. For Jovana, it's the link with the line player.

“It's one of my strengths. Here in Debrecen I have very good communication with my line player, and we work well on the court. If I had to prepare against Debrecen, I would focus on stopping our two-on-two play. I also attack one-on-one a lot. That's another part of my game.”

Understanding the game, though, goes far beyond just one action. For Jovovic, reading situations became base to her development, and she credits the former star of her national team, Andrea Lekic, for showing her the way.

“She has been my idol since I was little, and now she's a real friend too. We talk a lot, about life, but also handball. From her, I learnt about making smart decisions, reading situations. Of course, at my age, sometimes I play on instinct, thinking with the heart, and make mistakes.

“But I notice I'm improving. I try more and more to look at what's in front of me, to read situations, and that's what a centre back must do. I still need to learn every day, and every match is different.

“I always try to think: What can I do now for the team? How can we attack these six players in front of us? Andrea helps me a lot. I watched many of her games and I try to bring some of that to the court,” says Jovovic.

And she does bring it. Her role model Lekic said, in her own Handball Through My Eyes piece, that she really loves to assist the line player. As Jovana already mentioned, that is her favourite too — she loves assisting more than scoring. 

“I love assists. In Debrecen, I play with line player Petra Tóvizi for four years now. From fast breaks, from two-on-two actions, from her running into gaps — our game is often built on the connection. It's what makes me happy and determined, even more now that I'm centre back.”

Room for improvement

Even as her game matures and develops, showing her bright talent, Jovovic knows there is always space to improve in every aspect.

“I think where I can really grow is adding more variety to my back shots, and do ground shots. I should shoot more from distance. I'm working on it, because handball is getting more and more serious, with a lot of scouting. Opponents prepare individually for each player. So, I'm trying to add those things,” says Jovovic.

And while the spotlight often falls on the top scorers and the attack, for Jovovic, having good defending skills is equally important — something she only recently started to work on and keeps on doing so.

“I learned the most about defence with coach Uros [Bregar]. At the beginning I realised how much I didn't know, and it was a big process of learning. I usually play the number five in defence. I'm a half defender. In the club, sometimes also in the middle. Defence is very tough — tougher than many think. It's not just about knowledge. It's also about will and desire.

“We do a lot of video analysis, and I think that's crucial. You can't defend the same against every team. Each game requires adjustment. I talk a lot with my left wing in Debrecen — how we'll defend together. Analysing became a huge part of today's handball. Bigger than before.”

But it's not just technical details: Physical preparation has become a huge part of Jovovic’s development too. Since 2021, she has been working with the Novi Sad-based company Trenazna ekspertiza, founded by professor Marko Stojanovic, under the guidance of Nikola Andric.

“They are really important for my physical progress, and in today's handball, physical readiness is just as crucial. They take care of my conditioning and I work with them throughout the whole year,” explains Jovovic. 

That commitment to hard work is also what helped her break into the national team at a very young age.

Staying in Debrecen while dreaming big

She was the youngest debutant ever for the Serbia national team — having played at the 2019 IHF Women's World Championship at only 17 years and 11 months — and it set the tone for her career, showing she could aim for the highest stages. Still, Jovovic stays grounded, knowing there is plenty of work ahead.

Not rushing, but moving step by step, has been her approach from the start. It is also one of the reasons she chose to prolong her adventure in Debrecen.

“When I came here, Debrecen was at the EHF Cup level. Now the club is growing a lot, attracting bigger names, and we received a wild card for the Champions League twice. That's not a small thing, because I see which clubs are fighting to be here. So for now, I see myself here.”

From the girl in Crvenka who trained with bottles instead of cones to a leader, Jovovic has already climbed far. The path ahead points to even greater stages, as for her, the horizon is wide open.

“Of course, things change in handball. I have ambitions to win titles, to be the best, to play for the biggest clubs. But for now, I'm taking it step by step in Debrecen. Here I get playing time in the Champions League. I can still make mistakes and learn, which is important. Later I'd like to go to a level where trophies are won, because I think that should be every athlete's goal.”

Photos: István Derencsényi; kolektiff images/Jozo Cabraja/Axel Heimken