Mississippi State’s Petar Jovanovic has been named the SEC’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year for men’s tennis, a testament to his excellence both on the court and in the classroom, the league office announced Friday.
Jovanovic becomes the third Bulldog to earn this prestigious award, joining Rishab Agarwal (2016) and Nuno Borges who won the award in both 2018 & 2019.
Jovanovic, a finance major in MSU’s College of Business, has maintained a perfect 4.00 GPA through six consecutive semesters. On a national level, Jovanovic has been named an ITA Scholar-Athlete twice while in the SEC he has earned three SEC Academic Honor Roll Honors. At Mississippi State he has been named to both President’s List and the Dean’s List for his strong efforts in the classroom.
On the court, Jovanovic is a two-time ITA All-American. He has been a key contributor to Mississippi State’s 11-3 SEC record, while also helping the Bulldogs earn the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament.
He owns a 22-9 overall record between the fall and spring seasons, including a 9-5 mark in SEC singles action—primarily competing at the No. 1 and No. 2 positions. In dual matches, he’s tallied a 15-6 singles record at the top two spots and is currently ranked 61st in the nation for singles.
In doubles, Jovanovic has elevated his game to an elite level with his partner, Benito Sanchez Martinez. The duo is currently ranked No. 2 in the nation with a remarkable 28-4 record this season, including a 17-1 dual match mark and a perfect 12-0 ledger at the No. 1 position in SEC play. Adding to their impressive record is the number of ranked wins they have earned this season, leading the SEC in ranked doubles wins with 15.
His dominant performances in both singles and doubles this season helped him earn SEC Player of the Week honors for the week of March 31.
Jovanovic also qualified for the NCAA Individual Championships in both singles and doubles this past fall and proudly represented his native Montenegro in the prestigious Davis Cup World Group II against China in February.
As one of the most decorated student-athletes in college tennis, Jovanovic continues to embody Mississippi State’s standard of academic and athletic excellence.
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