Three tries at figuring out Iva Jovic, and Alex Eala still has not found the antidote.
Alex Eala once again fell short against Iva Jovic, losing her comeback bid after dropping the opening set, 5-7, 6-3, 4-6, in the third round of the 2026 US Open on Sunday morning at Flushing Meadows, New York.
Playing for the first time at the 23,771-seat Arthur Ashe Stadium of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, both players put on a spectacle of elite shotmaking for a capacity crowd inside the biggest tennis venue in the world.
Jovic had already asserted her superior strength over Eala, scoring dominant victories over the Filipina twice earlier this year. It was more of the same at the start of the first set, as Jovic raced to a 4-1 lead after breaking Eala twice.
Eala, however, refused to be overpowered this time around.
Fighting back, the Filipina broke Jovic twice to level the set at 4-4. Eala struggled to protect her serve in the closing stages, though, allowing Jovic to regain the advantage and eventually take the opening set after holding serve in the 12th game.
(C) WTA
Eala displayed more patience in the second set, extending rallies and pinning Jovic behind the baseline. She jumped to an early 3-1 lead and appeared to have seized the momentum.
Jovic, however, showed the caliber that has made her the youngest player in the world’s top 20, keeping the set close at 4-3.
Eala responded with her third service break of the match in the eighth game before closing out the set in the ninth, claiming her first-ever set against Jovic.
High-quality tennis continued in the decider, with both players maintaining the level they showed in the opening two sets. Eala drew first blood by breaking Jovic in the opening game and building a 2-0 lead.
Jovic responded by taking the next two games to level the set at 2-2. Eala then won the next two games to move ahead, 4-2.
Two break points came Eala’s way in the seventh game with a chance to extend her lead, but Jovic refused to go away. She held serve and then claimed the next two games to turn the tables and move ahead, 5-4.
With her back against the wall, Eala saved a match point and held serve to level the set for the final time at 5-5.
Jovic, though, had just a little more left in the tank. She won the final two games to clinch the three-hour, four-minute battle and improve to 3-0 against Eala this year.
Following her victory over her former doubles partner and good friend, Jovic advances to the next round, where she will face fourth seed and two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff of the United States.
