American teenager Iva Jovic defeated her friend and fellow rising star Alex Eala of the Philippines in a grueling three-set match on Saturday to advance to the round of 16 at the US Open, then broke down in tears talking about her opponent afterward.
The 14th-seeded Jovic won 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 over 17th-seed Eala after three hours and three minutes on Arthur Ashe Stadium, according to Al Jazeera. The match featured 17 service breaks across 33 games.
"That felt like a marathon, and I felt like I lost my sanity five times over to win that match," Jovic said. "But it's really worth it for this feeling."
Jovic, 18, and Eala, 21, are friends away from the court and occasional doubles partners. Both were making their Arthur Ashe Stadium debut. Jovic broke four times to take the first set before Eala, a left-hander, broke three times to level the match in the second. Jovic then won five of the last six games to close out the third.
The moment that drew the most attention came after the final point. Instead of waiting at the net as players typically do, Eala walked around the court to congratulate Jovic directly. When asked about the gesture in her post-match news conference, Jovic began to cry.
"It says a lot about her as a person," Jovic said while wiping away tears. "I'm gonna start crying, 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 she does not usually show that many emotions but that this match was different. "I'm usually not one that shows that many emotions, but this one really meant a lot to me. It's everything to have another match here at the US Open," she said.
Her next opponent is Coco Gauff, the fourth seed and 2023 US Open champion who also won the 2025 French Open. "I'm going to be more than happy to just bring this fight and this energy, and whatever happens I can leave with my head high," Jovic said.
