Alex Eala’s 2026 US Open journey came to an end in the third round, yet her New York performance still underlines how far she has climbed this season.

The Filipina was edged 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 by world No 14 Iva Jovic in a tense three-hour contest on Saturday night inside Arthur Ashe Stadium. It was a match that swung repeatedly, with Eala finishing just short after pushing the 16th seed all the way.

Her opening two rounds had been emphatic. Eala began by beating Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2, then backed it up with another composed display to defeat Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4. That run marked her second main draw appearance at the US Open, following a second-round showing at last year’s tournament.

After the loss, Eala struck a measured tone in her press conference. “I do think I have grown as a player since the last time we played each other.

“And I definitely think I had my chances in this match. I was able to set myself up for some opportunities, which was great.

“I’m happy with the match. Of course, there’s disappointment in losing, but I’m trying to see the positive side.

“The level in this match was really high. It was a really good match, and congrats to Iva for pushing through.”

She also reflected on the competitive dynamic between the pair, saying: “I don’t think that being friends affects how much we fight on court or how badly we want it.

“It’s just a part of life. We’re friends, but also professionals.”

Eala began the tournament at a career-high world No 18 after collecting eight wins across Washington DC, Toronto and Cincinnati. Following her third-round exit, she has 2,276 ranking points and remains 18th in the Live WTA Rankings.

She sits 40 points behind 17th-placed Naomi Osaka and 114 points behind Jovic, while Emma Navarro and Anastasia Potapova could still move past her if they continue their own runs in New York. From starting the season at No 53, her rise in 2026 has remained notable.

Roger Federer stood among the last great exponents of the single-handed backhand just as the two-hander became the dominant force in the sport. Stan Wawrinka carried that style forward for years after Federer stepped away, and Stefanos Tsitsipas, Denis Shapovalov and Lorenzo Musetti still keep it visible today, though few younger players are emerging behind them.

Going into this year’s US Open, one striking sequence remained intact: in every season since the first Wimbledon in 1877, at least one man with a one-handed backhand has reached a major semi-final.

Before Federer played an exhibition at Arthur Ashe Stadium late last month, the 20-time major champion spoke about his wish that the shot would survive. He told reporters, “My coaches when I was growing up, I would say, were 90% one-handers. I think when your coach is a one-handed tennis player, you will be most likely be a one-handed tennis player, too. Nowadays, the coaches are probably mostly double-handed players, and it’s just easier to teach a kid to have two hands on the backhand side.

“Back in the day, I used to do 50/50 on volleys and net play and baseline game. Before my time, it was probably more like 80% net play and 20% baseline drills, but now it’s like 90/10 for the baseline.

“I still believe the one-handed backhand isn’t over,” before joking, “I’ll pass on my wisdom to Musetti.”

Musetti and Shapovalov both exited in the second round in New York, leaving Tsitsipas as the lone hope to preserve the streak. The Greek reached the fourth round at Flushing Meadows for the first time in his career, and ahead of his last-16 match against Ben Shelton, the 28-year-old wrote, “I’ve got a 150-year streak to save.”

That hope did not last. Shelton overpowered the unseeded Tsitsipas 6-2, 6-3, 6-4 on Sunday night.

Before the tournament, Tsitsipas called the single-handed backhand a “dinosaur going extinct”. Musetti, meanwhile, said two-handed backhands “offer an advantage in modern tennis”. Federer said he was “hopeful” the shot was not finished, but the direction of the game suggests otherwise, with children increasingly taught the two-hander from the start.

For the one-hander to remain part of the sport’s future, it may need a new generation willing to defend it.

Monday’s US Open discussion has been shaped by several notable storylines from the weekend, with Carlos Alcaraz, Serena and Venus Williams, Alex Eala and Aryna Sabalenka all featuring prominently.

Alcaraz’s quarter-final path became a talking point after his fourth-round win over Tommy Paul. During an ESPN interview, Andy Roddick told him who might be waiting next, and the reaction was immediate. Roddick said: “You’re either going to play [Ben] Shelton or [Stefanos] Tsitispas, maybe just a word on both of them.” Alcaraz responded: “I thought, I thought, oh my God, I thought I was playing [Daniil] Medvedev-[Frances] Tiafoe.”

Elsewhere, Serena Williams and Venus Williams were beaten 6-3, 6-7(6), 7-6(7) by Chan Hao-Ching and Maya Joint in a tight opening-round doubles match. Their defeat was not the only point of debate. Their post-match behaviour drew strong reaction on the Tennis365 Facebook page, with Tennis365’s Liam McMillen arguing that the sisters should not receive any more wildcards after they opted not to do a post-match press conference.

Roddick also offered praise for Alex Eala after seeing the support around her at the event. Eala’s run ended with a three-set third-round loss to Iva Jovic, but Roddick came away impressed by her fan base. He said: “Fans were into it, cheering for their person, but doing it with class.

“Eala’s fan base is obviously massive. It’s obviously loyal. And I’m sorry, they’re so respectful.”

In the women’s draw, Aryna Sabalenka continues to move through the tournament without dropping a set. The world No 1 and defending champion reached the quarter-finals after a 6-4, 6-3 win over Taylor Townsend, prompting a notable change of view from Annabel Croft. Before the event, Croft had described Sabalenka as “vulnerable”, but after that victory she said: “She is going to take some beating. She doesn’t look as vulnerable as I was expecting. So far, she hasn’t dropped a set and looks in very good shape,” Croft told Sky Sports.