DALLAS, TX - When Ivan Jakovljevic came to the United States from Croatia in 2017, pickleball was far from his mind.

He was engulfed in another sport at that point, one that features kicks, goals, and slide tackles instead of drops, dinks, and drives.

Jakovljevic came to America to play professional soccer and began his time in the U.S. with the Oklahoma City Energy FC.

It wasn’t until five years later in 2022—after he finished his time on the pitch with the Houston Dynamo organization—that Jakovljevic discovered pickleball while teaching tennis with his brother in Tyler, TX.

Now, the former footballer has situated himself squarely in the midst of the professional pickleball world.

It’s an accomplishment in and of itself to make it to the pro level in any sport: the commitment to a strict training regimen and the grit to outlast others with the same goal are just some aspects of that journey.

The Croatian has now accomplished the feat in two sports.

He says the key to making it to that high of a level—in sport or anything else—is the discipline to work on the craft, even when you may not want to.

“A lot of it comes down to who’s spending more time on the court and just being smart in the big moments,” he explained. “It’s also important to be aware of your weaknesses and to be intentional about working on them. It sounds simple, but you really just need to put in the hours.”

Handling pressure is also imperative.

“You need to be able to deal with the pressure of knowing that everybody’s coming after you and coming for your spot, just like I’m coming after other people,” Jakovljevic mentioned. “It takes an unwavering belief in yourself. Pressure is a big thing in every sport, and you need to know that everybody’s replaceable, if that's the right word. It’s just the reality.”

Even though those challenges exist in any effort to make it to the top, there are (obviously) some stark gameplay differences between soccer and pickleball.

One that might not be as readily apparent is the timing dynamic of each contest.

“In soccer, you have 90 minutes to play before you win or lose. The match finishes after that time regardless of how each team plays,” he described. “In pickleball, though, it’s a true win-lose scenario. That’s what I was struggling with the most because you can get tight, and it’s an adjustment switching that mentality.”

Adopting that mentality and increasing mental fortitude have been some of the biggest challenges during Jakovljevic’s transition from the pitch to the 20x44.

“I think the mental aspect of the game is so huge because you can see that a lot of the top players are essentially equal in skill,” he shared. “A lot of the matches come down to who is mentally stronger when things are tight, so I’m trying to figure out how to bring out my highest level in those moments because that’s when you need to be at your best.”

Since becoming a UPA Tour pro in January, the 33-year-old has been putting the rest of the pickleball world on notice with deeper and deeper runs into tournaments.

His best results to date are a fifth-place finish with Brandon French in North Carolina and a tenth-place finish in Los Angeles with Steve Deakin.

 

The six-foot-two lefty is becoming one of the craftiest players in the game, and his length makes him especially dangerous at the kitchen line.

“I think my biggest strength is that I’m a lefty because everything is a little different,” he noted. “I also think the attacking part of my game is good because I’m tricky. I don’t have as strong of a tennis background as most other pros, so it’s a little bit harder for my opponents to read me.”

 

 

 

 

 

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Even as he continues to make his mark on the sport, Jakovljevic has had to adapt to some important life changes away from the court; he and his wife Katie welcomed their first child together, Banks McCoy Jakovljevic, in May.

“It’s a game changer, a life changer, in the best way possible,” the new father said.

As Jakovljevic gets used to his new responsibilities at home, he’s still playing a full pickleball schedule. He’ll next be in action at the Selkirk Kansas City Open, where he’ll play men's singles, men’s doubles with Noe Khlif, and mixed doubles with Sarah Ansboury.