American teenage prodigy Iva Jovic fought back tears while speaking about her “incredible” friend Alex Eala after their gruelling, three-hour US Open third-round clash on Saturday.
Specifically, Jovic got emotional over the fact that Eala walked over to the other side of the net at Arthur Ashe Stadium to hug her and congratulate her, which is typically not the norm. Furthermore, Jovic revealed that Eala visited her in the locker room to congratulate her for advancing to the fourth round at Flushing Meadows.
“It says a lot about her as a person. I’m gonna start crying,” a visibly emotional Jovic said of Eala after her 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 win.
“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 to hug me and wish me all the best. And even in the locker room behind closed doors, so that just says a lot about her and her character.
“Yeah, she’s incredible,” Jovic said about Eala.
Alex Eala ‘Happy’ With Match
As for Eala, the loss stung, but the Filipina took solace in the fact that her best friend had advanced to the fourth round of a major. Eala was also happy that the match went down to the wire, unlike her previous two straight-set losses so the same opponent.
“I do think I have grown as a player since the last time we played each other,” she said reflecting on her loss on Saturday nigth.
“And I definitely think I had my chances in this match. I was able to set myself up for some opportunities, which was great,” she added.
“I’m happy with the match. Of course, there’s disappointment in losing, but I’m trying to see the positive side — the level in this match was really high.
“It was a really good match, and congrats to Iva for pushing through.”
Further to Eala’s point, she had plenty of opportunities to win on Saturday. During the deciding third set, she led four games to two with a break of serve, but Jovic broke her back to eventually win the set 7-5. Later in the set, it was Eala’s turn to fight back as she saved two match points when Jovic was up five games to four. Although Jovic prevailed in a thriller, both women had reason to be proud of their performance.
Friendship Tested at US Open
Despite their close friendship, Eala and Jovic pushed each other to the limit on Saturday, possibly producing the highest quality of tennis they’ve ever played.
Eala, though, disputed the theory that their friendship influenced how hard they played.
“I don’t think that being friends affects how much we fight on court or how badly we want it,” Eala told reporters after her heart breaking loss.
“It’s just a part of life,” she continued. “We’re friends, but also professionals.”
Jovic will next face fellow American Coco Gauff in a blockbuster fourth-round clash on Monday. The 18-year-old is looking to further solidify her record as the youngest American to reach the quarterfinal of a major after breaking Venus Williams’ record at the Australian Open earlier this year.
Iva Jovic Fights Back Tears Over ‘Incredible’ Alex Eala After US Open Win