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.
A father-daughter moment to remember đź’™
Alexandra Eala and Iva Jovic bring their dads on court for a little friendly competition. pic.twitter.com/JGfvPZM9rv
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 28, 2026
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.