Filipina tennis star Alex Eala's campaign in the singles event of the French Open came to an early end after she was defeated by her former doubles partner and friend, American Iva Jovic, 4-6, 2-6, in the first round on Tuesday evening, May 26, 2026 (Philippine time), in Paris, France.
Match Highlights
Eala managed to gain momentum in the first set but could not sustain it against her world No. 17 opponent. The match started intensely, with Jovic taking a 1-0 lead in the first set after a grueling 10-minute opening game. From there, Jovic controlled the pace and surged to a 5-1 advantage. Eala refused to surrender and fought back to narrow the gap to 4-5, but Jovic secured the first set.
In the second set, world No. 37 Eala, 21, struggled to counter Jovic's aggressive play. The 18-year-old Jovic, who is the youngest player in the world top 50, dominated the set and closed out the match in just one hour and 14 minutes.
Next Steps
Jovic will face fellow American Emma Navarro in the second round. Despite the loss, Eala will remain in Paris to compete in the doubles event with Canadian partner Victoria Mboko in the coming days.
