Alex Eala Runs Into Major Hurdle Against Close Friend at US Open

In a matchup featuring the future of women’s tennis, World No. 17 Alex Eala will face No. 16 Iva Jovic in the third round of the US Open this weekend.

For both women, the clash will be extra emotional given their off-the-court friendship.

Philippine sensation Eala and American teenage prodigy Jovic share a close bond dating back to their days on the junior circuit. They first crossed paths at the 2022 junior US Open, where Jovic played doubles against Eala and her partner Mirra Andreeva. Jovic later shared that Eala was remarkably kind when they first met, and their bond only grew stronger as they hit the senior tour together.

Earlier this year, they teamed up as doubles partners at the ASB Classic in Auckland, where Jovic jokingly said she felt “adopted” by Eala’s passionate Filipino fanbase.

History Favors Iva Jovic Over Alex Eala

Jovic is 2-0 against Eala in their past two encounters — at the Roland Garros in May and the Queen’s Club Championships in June. The American won both matches in straight sets but Eala has gained a lot of confidence since those matchups, notably with her historic win in Washington and her impressive showing at Wimbledon.

After her French Open win over Eala, Jovic wrote on social media: “One of those days I wish there could be two winners, ❤️ you @alex.eala.” She expressed similar sentiments after the Queen’s victory.

“I wish we could play at later stages of the tournaments,” she said in her press conference, via WTA Tennis. “Hopefully when both of our rankings go up, we will be on other sides of the brackets until semis or finals.”

Iva Jovic ‘Super Excited’ to Face Alex Eala

While Jovic won their previous two meetings on clay and grass, Eala expected to fare better in their US Open hard-court debut — a surface that perfectly suits her grinding, rally-heavy playing style. There’s no better indicator than the fact that Eala steamrolled her opponents in straight sets (6-1, 6-2 and 6-1, 6-4) in the first two rounds.

Jovic also won her first two rounds in straight sets, but not as dominantly as Eala. The teenager is “super excited” to face her friend in arguably their most vital clash to date.

“Yeah, I’m super excited [to face Eala],” Jovic said after her 6-4, 6-4 win over Briton Francesca Jones in Thursday’s second round.

“The atmosphere is gonna be amazing, and she’s been playing some great tennis.

“So, it’s nice to be playing each other third round, deeper into the Slam, so hopefully we can all keep going on runs like this,” she added.

Regardless of who wins, tennis fans will witness two future grand slam winners in action on the biggest stage. The winner will face either 2023 US Open winner Coco Gauff or Spaniard veteran Cristina Bucsa in the fourth round.

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