MANILA, Philippines – Filipina tennis star Alex Eala reached the third round of the 2026 US Open for the first time before falling to close friend Iva Jovic in a thrilling three-set battle.
Eala, who entered the tournament as the world No. 18 and No. 17 seed, defeated American qualifier Mary Stoiana and Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova in straight sets to advance to the third round.
The 21-year-old reached a new career-high World No. 18 in the WTA rankings released Monday, August 24, moving two spots up from No. 20 following the conclusion of the Cincinnati Open in Mason, Ohio.
The ranking marked another milestone in Eala’s remarkable 2026 season, which has already included her maiden WTA singles title in Washington, a Round of 16 finish at the Canadian Open, and a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon.
Her Cincinnati campaign ended in the Round of 32 after a three-set loss to world No. 10 Amanda Anisimova, but Eala bounced back in New York with two dominant victories before making her deepest US Open run to date.
The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the tennis season and is being played on outdoor hard courts in New York.
The champion earns 2,000 WTA ranking points, while the runner-up receives 1,300, with 780 points awarded to semifinalists, 430 to quarterfinalists, and 240 to players reaching the Round of 16.
Players reaching the Round of 32 earn 130 points, while Round of 64 and first-round exits are worth 70 and 10 points, respectively.
Alex Eala US Open 2026 Schedule and Results
First Round — Result
Alex Eala vs. Mary Stoiana
Result: Eala won, 6-1, 6-2
Date: September 2, 2026 (Philippine time)
Venue: Louis Armstrong Stadium, New York
Eala made a dominant start to her US Open singles campaign, sweeping American qualifier Mary Stoiana, 6-1, 6-2, in just 78 minutes at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The No. 17 seed controlled the match from the baseline, breaking Stoiana twice in the opening set and racing to a 5-0 lead before the American got on the scoreboard.
Stoiana briefly took a 2-1 lead in the second set, but Eala responded by winning four consecutive games before closing out the match with another break.
Eala converted four of eight break-point opportunities and won 78% of her first-serve points in the commanding victory.
Second Round — Result
Alex Eala vs. Oleksandra Oliynykova
Result: Eala won, 6-1, 6-4
Date: September 4, 2026 (Philippine time)
Venue: Louis Armstrong Stadium, New York
Eala continued her impressive run by defeating Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, 6-1, 6-4, to reach the third round of the US Open for the first time.
The world No. 18 Filipina controlled the opening set before holding off a stronger challenge from Oliynykova in the second set to complete another straight-set victory.
The result also gave Eala her first US Open main-draw appearance beyond the second round after she reached the second round in her tournament debut last year.
Third Round — Result
Alex Eala vs. Iva Jovic
Result: Jovic won, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5
Date: September 6, 2026 (Philippine time)
Venue: Arthur Ashe Stadium
Eala’s US Open campaign ended in the third round after she fell to American Iva Jovic, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, in a three-hour, three-minute battle at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Eala fought back after dropping the opening set, winning the second 6-3 to force a deciding set against her close friend.
The Filipina then appeared poised to complete the comeback after taking a 4-2 lead in the third set, but Jovic rallied to win three straight games and move ahead, 5-4.
Eala saved a match point to level the deciding set at 5-5, but Jovic held serve for a 6-5 advantage before Eala sent a forehand into the net on match point to end the contest.
The victory was Jovic’s third win over Eala in 2026, following straight-set victories at the French Open and HSBC Championships earlier this year.
Jovic defeated Eala, 6-4, 6-2, in the first round of the French Open in May before beating her again, 6-2, 6-2, at the HSBC Championships in London in June.
Unlike those first two meetings, however, Eala pushed Jovic to the limit in New York and took a set from the American for the first time in their three official WTA meetings.
Eala and Jovic are also close friends and have partnered in doubles, reaching the semifinals of the ASB Classic in January.
Despite the defeat, Eala recorded her best-ever US Open finish by reaching the third round, surpassing her second-round exit in 2025.
Her run earned her $290,000 in prize money, or approximately P18.1 million, and is expected to lift her to a new career-high World No. 16 in the WTA rankings.
Stars of the Open
Result: Iva Jovic won, 6-3
Date: August 28, 2026 (Philippine time)
Venue: Arthur Ashe Stadium, New York
Eala previously faced Jovic in the one-set “Stars of the Open” exhibition at the 2026 US Open, with Jovic winning, 6-3.
The exhibition served as a tune-up for both players ahead of the women’s singles tournament, with proceeds benefiting the USTA Foundation.
Mixed Doubles
Round of 16 — Result
Alex Eala/Felix Auger-Aliassime vs. Elina Svitolina/Gaël Monfils
Result: Svitolina/Monfils won, 4-1, 4-1
Date: August 25, 2026 (Philippine time)
Venue: Louis Armstrong Stadium, New York
Eala made her professional mixed doubles debut alongside Canadian ATP standout Felix Auger-Aliassime, but the pair suffered a quick exit against tennis power couple Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils.
Svitolina and Monfils needed just 39 minutes to defeat Eala and Auger-Aliassime, 4-1, 4-1, ending Eala’s mixed doubles campaign.
How to Watch Alex Eala at the US Open
Fans can watch Alex Eala’s US Open campaign through the tournament’s official broadcast and streaming partners, with coverage varying by country.
Philippines
SPOTV NOW provides live coverage of the US Open in the Philippines, with fans able to watch the games for free after registering for an account.
For fans who want complete tournament coverage, the SPOTV NOW Season Pass is available for P599 and includes every match from the qualifiers through the grand final.
The season pass also offers 1080p Full HD video quality and allows up to two devices to stream simultaneously across PC, mobile, tablet, and smart TV.
SPOTV is also available on Cignal TV and Cignal Play, with eligible Cignal subscribers able to stream through the Cignal Play app.
Fans can visit SPOTV NOW to register and check the available US Open viewing options.
United States
ESPN is presenting the US Open for the 17th consecutive year and its 11th year as the tournament’s exclusive domestic media partner, providing comprehensive live coverage of the Grand Slam.
International
Outside the United States, the 2026 US Open is carried by its international broadcast media partners across different territories.
Fans can check the official US Open international broadcast partners for country-specific coverage information.
For Philippine viewers, SPOTV NOW provides an additional streaming option for following the remaining US Open matches.
US Open 2026 Tournament Details
Tournament: US Open
Dates: August 23 to September 13, 2026
Women’s singles main draw: August 30 to September 12
Venue: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Queens, New York
Surface: Outdoor hard court
The US Open is the fourth and final Grand Slam of the tennis season, with the women’s singles final scheduled for September 12 and the men’s singles final on September 13.
Although Eala’s campaign is over, her historic third-round run marked a significant step forward at the US Open and added another milestone to her breakthrough 2026 season.
She is scheduled to return to action at the Singapore Tennis Open, which will be held from September 21 to 27 at OCBC Arena.
— The Summit Express
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