Philippines' Alexandra Eala celebrates a point during the women's singles first round tennis match against USA's Mary Stoiana on day three of the US Open tennis tournament at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City on September 1, 2026. Charly Triballeau, AFP.MANILA — While Alex Eala has yet to solve the puzzle that is Iva Jovic after three meetings, the Filipina tennis sensation is choosing to look beyond the heartbreak of her US Open exit.
The Filipina tennis sensation absorbed a 5-7, 6-3, 5-7 loss to the American on Sunday (Manila time) in a grueling three-hour, third-round battle, but Eala instead looked at the progress she has made since their last meeting.
“Definitely. I do think that I've grown as a player since the last time that we played each other,” said the 21-year-old. “I was able to kind of set myself up for some opportunities, which was great.”
This was the first time Eala took Jovic to three sets, as the 21-year-old previously suffered a 2-6, 2-6 loss in the Round of 16 of the 2026 Queen’s Club Championships and a 4-6, 2-6 setback in the 2026 French Open.
While Eala again could not complete the job against Jovic, she sees a silver lining in their highly competitive US Open battle.
“In general, of course, there is disappointment in losing, but I think it was a really good match. I think the level was really high,” she said.
Eala now moves on to the Singapore Open and the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, but she considers her US Open campaign an opportunity to apply the lessons she has learned throughout her breakthrough 2026 campaign so far.
“With the experiences that I’ve had this year, I'm put in so many situations, and so many firsts. And with those situations comes new lessons,” said Eala. “I learn about myself, how to act, about what's the best way for me to handle an obstacle. I learn about what effect my decisions have further down the line, and this and those themes stick with tennis, but also in life.”
Eala to shift focus to Singapore Open, Asian Games after US Open heartbreak
Highlighted by her maiden WTA Tour title after ruling the Mubadala DC Open in Washington in August, Eala also made history by becoming the first-ever player from the Philippines to advance to the fourth round of Wimbledon in the Open Era.
Eala’s 2026 has also seen her compete in the first rounds of the Australian Open and French Open, and as she moves forward, the World No. 18 is leaning on the lessons from the challenges she has faced throughout the season: the importance of leaving it all on the court.
“What I've learned tonight, I have yet to process, but I think that what I know for sure is that I left everything out there. I fought through the ups and downs, through the moments where I wasn't playing so good, and moments where I was playing really good. So, what I know for a fact is that I fought, and I'm happy with that,” Eala said.