Who is Iva Jovic? Alex Eala's third round foe in US Open

Alexandra 'Alex' Eala will fight for a historic fourth round spot at the US Open when she goes up against a familiar foe who also happens to be a friend in Iva Jovic.

Eala and Jovic, who have forged a strong bond over the past few months on tour, will lock horns for the third time in their careers when they meet in the Round of 32 on Saturday night (Sunday morning in Philippines) at the Arthur Ashe Stadium. It will, however, be their first official meeting on a hard court.

Who is Iva Jovic, the 18-year-old American standing between Eala and a historic Round of 16 ticket?

Jovic, born in California in 2007 to Serbian and Croatian parents, is currently ranked No. 14 in the WTA rankings, which also serves as her career-high mark in her young tennis journey.

Jovic turned professional at only 14 in 2022 and captured her first-ever WTA title three years later, ruling the WTA500 Guadalajara Open in September 2025.

Jovic’s most memorable Grand Slam run so far came at the recent Australian Open, where she reached the quarterfinals before her campaign was halted by world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka.

Jovic has had the upper hand over Eala so far.

She beat the Filipina in their two previous meetings on clay and grass, posting a 6-4, 6-2 victory in their French Open first-round clash before securing another straight-set win, 6-2, 6-2, at the HSBC Championships.

READ MORE | Alex Eala vs Iva Jovic head-to-head: Previous matches ahead of US Open third round

Although their upcoming US Open third round clash will be their first official meeting on a hard court, Eala and Jovic have already faced each other on the surface, with Jovic beating the Filipina, 6-3, in the US Open “Stars of the Open” exhibition just last week.

—JKC, GMA News