Alex Eala battles Iva Jovic in US Open third-round clash

Alexandra Eala, of the Philippines, competes against Oleksandra Oliynykova, of Ukraine, during the second round of the U.S. Open tennis championships Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

MANILA, Philippines — They’ve had their fun on the court in New York to kick off the US Open, and now it’s time for the real battle.

Alex Eala and Iva Jovic hurdled separate opponents in straight sets Friday and set up a clash in the third round of the US Open.

The two rising tennis stars shared the court with their fathers days before the main draw in the “Stars of the Open” exhibition at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Since then, Eala has had a dominant run in her second US Open main draw, beating Mary Stoiana, 6-1, 6-2, in the opening round before following it up with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Oleksandra Oliynykova.

The 18-year-old Jovic, meanwhile, labored against Magdalena Fręch, 7-5, 6-3, in the first round before dispatching Francesca Jones, 6-4, 6-4.

Head-to-head

Alex Eala vs Iva Jovic: Head-to-head information.

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Eala, the No. 17 seed, expects a grind-out showdown against the higher-ranked Jovic, seeded 14th in the tournament. After all, she has yet to win a set against the American in their two meetings.

“She [Iva Jovic] is an amazing player, young, very talented and very intelligent. Of course, she’s a high-ranking player and very accomplished. And I’ve encountered my fair share of challenges against her this year,” Eala said.

Eala fell to Jovic in the first round of the French Open in late May, 6-4, 6-2, then again at the HSBC Championships in London just 15 days later, 6-2, 6-2.

But they have not battled on hard courts, where Eala has been thriving, bolstered by her first WTA title at the Mubadala DC Open.

Eala and Jovic have also paired up in a couple of doubles runs, reaching the semifinal of the ASB Classic in January but bowing out in the first round at Indian Wells.

Jovic said she is looking forward to facing Eala much deeper in a Grand Slam tournament than in their first meeting.

“I’m super excited. The atmosphere is going to be amazing. She’s been playing some great tennis. It’s nice to be playing each other third round, deeper into the Slam. Hopefully we can all keep going on runs like this,” Jovic said.

No information on the scheduled time or venue has been released yet for their match.