Philippines’ Alexandra Eala in action against Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova during their women's singles second round tennis match on day five of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 3, 2026. TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News
The third round of the US Open will feature a clash between good friends as Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala takes on world No. 14 Iva Jovic of the United States.
Eala powered past Ukraine's Oleksandra Oliynykova, 6-1, 6-4, to reach the third round, while Jovic progressed after a 6-4, 6-4 win over Britain's Francesca Jones.
READ: Alex Eala through to 3rd round of US Open after beating Oliynykova
It will be the third match between the two, with Jovic having won both of their previous encounters. She defeated Eala, 6-4, 6-2, in the first round of the French Open in May, and followed it up with a 6-2, 6-2 win in the second round of the Queen's Club a month later.
The 18-year-old Jovic said she is "super excited" for another meeting against Eala, as this time they will play on a hard court.
"The atmosphere is going to be amazing and she’s been playing some great tennis," said Jovic. "It's nice to be playing each other in the third round, deeper into the slam. So hopefully, we can all keep going on runs like this."
Eala, for her part, called Jovic "an amazing player." "Very talented and very intelligent," she added.
"She's a high-ranked player and very accomplished," said Eala of Jovic. "I've encountered my fair share of challenges against her this year."
A win over Jovic will match Eala's best performance at a Grand Slam, as she had reached the fourth round of Wimbledon earlier this year.
"It means a lot for me to get to the weekend," the Filipina ace said. "This is my first time being in the third round here at the US Open. Big achievement for me as well."