Iva Jovic continues to have Alex Eala's number.
The 18-year old American once again got the better of her close friend and world No. 18 Eala, overcoming the Filipina in a thrilling three-set battle, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, to book her place in the Round of 16 of the 2026 US Open early Sunday morning Philippine time at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York.
With the victory, Jovic extended her dominance over Eala to 3-0 in their head-to-head matchup, maintaining her perfect record against the Filipina, after she won in the French Open 6-4, 6-2, and at the Queen's Club 6-2, 6-2 early this year.
Both players opened the first set by holding serve, but Jovic struck first in the third game, capitalizing on two double faults from Eala to earn the first break of the match and take a 2-1 lead.
Eala immediately threatened to break back in the fourth game, earning three break points on Jovic's serve. But the 18-year-old American held her nerve, winning five straight points to fend off the threat and consolidate the break for a 3-1 advantage.
Iva Jovic continues to have Alex Eala’s number with the 18-year-old American advancing to the next round of the US Open. Robert Prange/Getty Images Jovic continued to apply pressure on Eala's serve in the fifth game, earning another break to stretch her lead to 4-1 and win four consecutive games.
The Filipina finally halted the run in the sixth game, breaking Jovic's serve to get back on the board before holding in the seventh to cut the deficit to 4-3. The onslaught would continue with another break in the eighth game to tie things up at 4-4 apiece.
However, the theme of not controlling the serves persisted to four straight games, but it was the 14th seed Jovic that made the important hold in the 12th game, which became the game that sealed the opener at 7-5.
The tight nature of the set was reflected in the winners count, with Jovic holding a narrow 13-12 edge over Eala. However, the Filipina's 15 unforced errors compared to just nine from the 18-year-old American proved costly, especially in the key exchanges.
She also struggled to get enough points behind her first serve, landing just 53% of her first deliveries compared to Jovic's 67%. After having difficulty protecting her serve early in the set, that disparity gave Jovic an important advantage in the service battle.
The second set followed a similar pattern, with both players protecting their serves through the opening three games. This time, however, it was Eala who struck first, breaking Jovic in the fourth game to take a 3-1 lead.