WTA 125 roundup: Valentova, Jovic, Parrizas Diaz claim this week's titles

For the second consecutive week, the bustling WTA 125 circuit featured two clay-court events and a grass-court tournament.

Three champions were crowned on Sunday: two rising teenagers (Iva Jovic and Tereza Valentova), and a 33-year-old former Top 50 player (Nuria Parrizas Diaz).

Here's a breakdown of the week that was at the WTA 125s:

Lexus Ilkley Open - Ilkley, Great Britain

American 17-year-old Iva Jovic clinched her first WTA 125 singles title on the grass courts of Ilkley. She cruised past former Top 40 player Rebecca Marino of Canada 6-1, 6-3 in Sunday's final.

Jack Gray/Lexus Ilkley Open

Jovic needed three-set wins in her first three matches this week, but she saved her best for last, with straight-sets victories over No. 2 seed Viktorija Golubic in the semis and No. 8 seed Marino in the final.

The title is even more impressive considering that this was Jovic's first grass-court tournament at professional level. However, she did win last year's Junior Wimbledon doubles title alongside Tyra Caterina Grant.

With the title, Californian teen Jovic cements her status as one of the rising stars in women's tennis: she will make her Top 100 debut on Monday, shooting up from No. 115 to No. 89. A year ago, Jovic was barely inside the Top 400.

The Ilkley doubles final took place on Saturday, where No. 3 seeds Isabelle Haverlag of the Netherlands and Simona Waltert of Switzerland breezed past Vitalia Diatchenko and Eden Silva 6-1, 6-1 in just 55 minutes.

28th Città di Grado Tennis Cup - Grado, Italy

Another surging member of the next generation, 18-year-old Czech Tereza Valentova, captured her first WTA 125 title on the clay courts of Grado. She defeated her 21-year-old compatriot Barbora Palicova 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 in Sunday's final.

The Grado trophy extends Valentova's breakthrough spring on tour. She qualified for Roland Garros to make her Grand Slam debut, notched her first Grand Slam main-draw win over Chloe Paquet, and acquitted herself well in a second-round loss to eventual champion Coco Gauff.

Fabio Millo/28th Città di Grado Tennis Cup

Like Jovic, Valentova was one of last year's top juniors. She won the junior singles and doubles titles at 2024 Roland Garros -- in fact, she and Renata Jamrichova defeated Jovic and Grant in that doubles final.

With the Grado title in her pocket, Valentova will see her PIF WTA Singles Ranking rise from No. 148 to No. 120 on Monday.

The doubles final also took place on Sunday, where No. 1 seeds Quinn Gleason of the United States and Ingrid Martins of Brazil eked past Veronika Erjavec and Dominika Salkova 6-2, 5-7, [10-5].

BBVA Open Internacional de Valencia - Valencia, Spain

Nuria Parrizas Diaz represented the tour veterans this week by winning the Valencia WTA 125 title on home soil. The Spaniard overcame American Louisa Chirico 7-5, 7-6(9) in Sunday's clay-court final.

Jose Izquierdo/BBVA Open Internacional de Valencia

Parrizas Diaz was down a break in each set, and she had to save two set points in the second-set tiebreak to get out of this match in straights. All told, it took Parrizas Diaz 1 hour and 49 minutes to grit out two close sets.

Parrizas Diaz, who peaked at World No. 45 in 2022, has now won four WTA 125 singles titles in her career. She has also hoisted trophies at 2021 Bastad (clay), 2021 Columbus (hard court) and 2024 Canberra (hard court).

After her latest triumph, Parrizas Diaz finds herself back in the Top 100. The Spanish No. 3 rises from No. 104 to No. 85 on Monday.

Sunday's doubles final was won by No. 1 seeds Maria Kozyreva and Iryna Shymanovich. They bested Spaniards Yvonne Cavalle-Reimers and Angela Fita Boluda 6-3, 6-4 in a 79-minute final.

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