On Saturday, current World No. 18 Alex Eala will take on her friend and current World No. 14 Iva Jovic in the third round of the 2026 US Open.
Eala beat Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 in the first round and defeated Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 in the second round.
Jovic, on the other hand, went through Magdalena Frech and Francesca Jones in the first two rounds.
Alex Eala Personal News
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, Alex Eala’s uncle, Noli Eala, shared some personal news about her niece.
Noli revealed that Alex was supposed to be a bridesmaid at her cousin’s wedding in Seattle, but she will miss it because of the US Open. Her parents, Mike and Rizza, will be making the trip before returning to New York to watch Alex.
“The EALAs are celebrating a wedding this weekend in Seattle of one of our nieces,” Noli wrote. “The parents of Alex are principal sponsors while Alex is suppose to be a bridesmaid along with my daughter, Lexie. If she had lost, Alex would have flown straight out to Seattle. But because of her 2nd round victory, Alex has to stay on and miss the wedding. So now, the Ealas are flying in to NY after the wedding to watch her instead. All good. All in for Alex. Lets celebrate all of these priceless moments.”
The EALAs are celebrating a wedding this weekend in Seattle of one of our nieces. The parents of Alex are principal sponsors while Alex is suppose to be a bridesmaid along with my daughter, Lexie. If she had lost, Alex would have flown straight out to
For those wondering, a principal sponsor in a traditional Filipino weddings serve as godparents to the newlywed couple. They are set to give advice on life and anything under the sun.
Bridesmaids are secondary sponsors who usually do symbolic gestures at the wedding, from putting on the veil and cords and lighting the candles.
Weddings are usually a big deal for Filipinos, but career comes first for Alex, who is among the rising stars in tennis. Her cousin and other relatives surely understand why she couldn’t attend the wedding.
Iva Jovic’s Message to Alex Eala
Speaking after her win against Francesca Jones, Iva Jovic delivered a clear message to Alex Eala.
Jovic feels excited about facing her close friend in the third round of the US Open.
“I’m super excited,” Jovic said. “The atmosphere is gonna 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.”
Saturday’s match will be the third time Jovic and Eala face each other in a major tournament.
Jovic beat Eala 6-4, 6-2 in the first round of this year’s French Open in late May. She also prevailed 6-2, 6-2 a month later in the Round of 16 of the Queen’s Club Championships.
They also matched up at the Stars of the Open exhibition game, with Jovic winning 6-3. It was highlighted by a heartwarming moment when their fathers joined them on the court.
Alex Eala Personal News Drops Ahead of Iva Jovic US Open Match