Alex Eala now knows the path she will have to take if she is to go deep into the US Open tournament.
The Filipino sensation defeated qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1 6-2 on Tuesday night and Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1 6-4 on Thursday afternoon. In the third round she will face her friend Iva Jovic, who defeated Francesca Jones 6-4 6-4 on Thursday. The Eala-Jovic match will take place Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET on Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Eala and Jovic have battled twice before in WTA play, with Jovic winning both matches: 6-2 6-2 on the grass at Queens Club in June, and 6-4 6-2 in the first round of the French Open in May. Jovic sports a 31-16 record on the season.
Jovic is -135 at Fanatics Sportsbook to defeat Eala on Saturday. Eala is +105 to pull off the upset.
Last year in Flushing Meadows, Eala earned her first grand slam main draw victory on her way to the second round of the US Open. She is expected to take another step this year.
Coco Gauff could very well be awaiting the winner in the fourth round. Gauff is coming into New York red hot, as she just won the Cincinnati Open.
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Eala is excited to play on the hard courts of the US Open, which is a place she once won the US Open girls singles title (2022).
“I prefer the hard court,” Eala told Talking Tennis earlier this year. “It’s the one I grew up on. And I think my game naturally is more suited to that.”
The 21-year-old began the season with tremendous results on hard courts, reaching the quarterfinals in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. She also reached the fourth round at Indian Wells and at the Miami Open.
All told, Eala has been thriving on all tennis surfaces this season.
She won the Lexus Birmingham Open in June before reaching the semifinals in Berlin. In Berlin, she defeated Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina.
Eala, now ranked No. 18 in the world, then showed she is ready for a grand slam stage as she beat 2025 Wimbledon champ Iga Swiatek in the third round. With that victory, Eala became the first tennis player from the Philippines to reach the second weekend of a singles major in the Open era.
Eala claimed her first WTA Tour-level title in early August, winning the Mubadala DC Open with a finals victory over Jessica Pegula.
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