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Posts tagged as “Jovic”

Iva Jovic Claims Thrilling Three-Set Victory Over Alex Eala

In a high-stakes, three-hour third-round thriller under the lights at Arthur Ashe Stadium, 18-year-old American Iva Jovic outlasted 17th seed Alexandra Eala of the Philippines 7-5, 3-6, 7-5.

The clash between two of tennis’ brightest young stars delivered relentless intensity. Eala brought fiery baseline play and roaring support from a passionate New York crowd, rallying back to force a decider after dropping the opening set. She carried that momentum into the third set, building a 4-2 lead. However, Jovic demonstrated exceptional grit, winning five of the final six games to seal a dramatic comeback victory.

Match highlights;

Without a doubt, this dramatic showcase stands out as one of the best matches at this stage of the US Open. Both players pushed each other to the absolute limit, giving fans an unforgettable, instant classic. Jovic advances to face Coco Gauff in the fourth round.

Eala and Jovic Trade Compliments at Stars of the Open as Their Fathers Steal the Show

Exhibition tennis is usually relaxed, but Wednesday’s Stars of the Open match was special.

During an August 27 tune-up, 18-year-old American Iva Jovic and 21-year-old Filipina Alex Eala traded compliments in each other’s native languages. Jovic wowed the crowd by saying “Alex, ang galing mo!” (“Alex, you’re amazing!”), and Eala replied in Serbian with “Ti si najbolja!” (“You are the best!”).

Jovic won the one-set match 6-3, but their fathers, Mike Eala and Bojan Jovic, stole the show from the sidelines with their funny banter.

Now, things get serious. Eala enters the 2026 US Open as the No. 17 seed—the highest-ranked Southeast Asian in WTA history—while Jovic is the No. 14 seed. They enter as close friends, but a potential third-round matchup could quickly turn them into rivals.

Here’s the full game of Alex Eala and Iva Jovic at the Stars of the Open ahead of the 2026 US Open.

Iva Jovic advance to Quarter Finals after defeating Alex Eala

After cruising through her opening match, Alex Eala found herself on the receiving end of a dominant performance as Iva Jovic took their match 6-2, 6-2 to advance to the quarterfinals. Jovic’s next opponent at the 2026 Queen’s Club Championships (HSBC Championships) in London will be the tournament’s second seed, Amanda Anisimova.