Iva Jovic may have won the battle against Alex Eala, but it was her friend’s gesture after the match that left the biggest impression.
Jovic praised Eala’s character after edging out the Filipina, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, in a hard-fought third-round clash at the 2026 US Open on Sunday at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York.
After more than three hours of intense competition, Jovic collapsed on the court in tears following her victory. Eala was already making her way toward Jovic’s side of the court and embraced her, congratulating the American and wishing her well despite suffering another heartbreaking defeat.
For Jovic, the moment captured what makes Eala special beyond the court.
“I mean, right now, it’s crazy, I think, for both of us. But it says a lot about her as a person. I’m going to start crying,” Jovic said.
“But it says a lot about her as a person to be able to do that after that type of match and still come over and hug me and wish me all the best.”
Jovic revealed that Eala’s sportsmanship did not end once they left the court, saying her friend also approached her in the locker room away from the spotlight.
“And even in the locker room, behind closed doors. So, you know, that just says a lot about her and her character,” Jovic said.
“So, yeah, she’s incredible.”
The embrace came after a tightly contested meeting between the two rising stars, with Jovic maintaining her perfect record against Eala this year at 3-0.
This time, however, Eala pushed Jovic further than in their previous encounters. She took a set off her for the first time and even held a 4-2 advantage in the deciding set before the American rallied.
Jovic came away particularly impressed by how much Eala has developed since their earlier meetings.
(C) WTA
“I mean, honestly, I thought she played well in all the encounters that we’ve faced,” Jovic said. “But she’s really — I think she played an outrageous level tonight. She was serving very good. She was showing a lot more versatility with her returns.”
The American added that Eala’s performance reflected the work she has put into her game.
“You can tell that she’s been working very hard and has improved a lot, and I have as well,” Jovic said.
“But it was just — it was very close, very even. And she’s playing, again, like some of the best tennis in the world right now. So there’s no doubt it takes a hell of an effort to beat her right now.”
Eala, for her part, saw the match as evidence of her own progress despite the loss.
“Definitely. I do think that I’ve grown as a player since the last time that we played each other, and I definitely think that, you know, this match, I had my chances and I was able to kind of set myself up for some opportunities, which was great,” Eala said.
The Filipina also acknowledged the difficulty of competing against someone she considers a friend, while making it clear that their relationship does not diminish their desire to win.
“I think that, yeah, I don’t think that being friends affects how much we fight on court or how badly we want it,” Eala said.
“But, yeah, I think it’s just a part of life, having friends, and we’re professionals, so that’s kind of it.”
Despite the disappointment, Eala chose to focus on the positives from a match in which she came within two games of knocking out one of the tournament’s rising young stars.
“I think I’m happy with… I think, in general, of course, there is disappointment in losing. But trying to see the positive side, I think it was a really good match. I think the level was really high,” she said.
“So, yeah, congrats to Iva for pushing through.”
For Jovic, that attitude — and the embrace that followed their battle — was another reminder that their friendship extends well beyond the result of a tennis match.
Jovic now advances to the fourth round, where she will face fourth seed and two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff.
