Iva Jovic has moved into a third-round meeting with Alex Eala at the 2026 US Open, and she made no effort to hide her enthusiasm after finishing her own latest win.

The No 14 seed and No 17 seed were among the names many expected to cross paths when the draw was announced last week, and both have now done enough to make that matchup a reality.

Jovic advanced with a 6-4, 6-4 second-round victory over world No 104 Francesca Jones on Thursday. Her route into the match has not been straightforward, either. In the first round, the 18-year-old American beat Magdalena Frech 7-5, 6-3 in a contest that stretched across two days because of rain delays in New York.

Eala has also been efficient in reaching the same stage. She opened with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Mary Stoiana before backing it up with a 6-1, 6-4 defeat of Oleksandra Oliynykova in the second round.

After beating Jones, Jovic was asked in her on-court interview about the meeting ahead, and her response was immediate. “I’m super excited,” said Jovic.

“The atmosphere is gonna be amazing, and she’s been playing some great tennis.

“It’s nice to be playing each other third round, deeper into the Slam, so hopefully we can all keep going on runs like this.”

Jovic also acknowledged the physical strain of playing three days in a row because of the weather interruptions. “Yeah, it’s been a bit of a grind the past couple of days, but happy to catch up to speed, and no rain today, hallelujah, so good to be out here on dry courts.”

Eala, speaking after her second-round win, returned the compliment and offered a respectful assessment of Jovic. “She’s an amazing player,” said the 21-year-old Filipina

“Young, very talented, and very intelligent, of course. She’s a high-ranked player and and very, very accomplished, and I’ve encountered my fair share of challenges against her this year.

“But yeah, I mean it’s not under my control who I play. All I can do is, you know, give my best and try to do everything that I can to win.”

Day 5 at the 2026 US Open delivered a mix of sharp opinions and hard-fought wins, with Naomi Osaka, Alexander Zverev, Alex Eala and Carlos Alcaraz all in the frame.

Osaka, a two-time US Open champion, advanced past Katerina Siniakova 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 in the second round at Flushing Meadows on Thursday. Her serving rhythm during the match prompted Tim Henman to revisit a long-running issue in the sport and suggest a change to the let rule on serve. “You wonder, it’s another rule that we probably discuss, whether you get rid of the let serve when the serve clips the top of the net,” the former world No 4 said on Sky Sports.

Zverev also moved through after a demanding night, defeating Quentin Halys 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-7(3), 6-3 in a marathon second-round contest. The top seed was candid about what he produced. “The performance was quite s***, to be honest, but I won, and that’s the most important thing,” said the German. He added: “I’ve been here for another four and a half hours, 2:15am again, but that is what I go to the gym for, that’s what I go to the track for, that’s what I train for, to be able to come out on top in these difficult moments.”

Elsewhere, Eala’s decision to represent the Philippines at the 2026 Asian Games means she will miss the China Open because the events clash. Since the China Open is one of the WTA’s 10 mandatory 1000 tournaments, she could face penalties ranging from ranking point deductions to fines if no exemption is granted.

Alcaraz, meanwhile, has continued his US Open comeback after more than four months out with a right wrist injury. Following his four-set second-round win over Jaime Faria, Greg Rusedski said the Spaniard’s return had “defied logic”, while also noting: “He’s been pretty fortunate, let’s be honest. The opening three rounds look pretty comfortable.”

Alex Eala has answered a pointed question about whether she received special treatment after moving into the third round of the 2026 US Open.

The world No. 18 defeated 46th-ranked Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 in the second round at Flushing Meadows on Thursday, building on her opening-round win over Mary Stoiana, 6-1, 6-2. Both of those matches were played on Louis Armstrong Stadium, the 14,000-seat court that is the second-largest at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

Eala has been backed by large groups of fans from the Philippines throughout the tournament, continuing support she has also received at many events around the world. That backdrop helped frame the question she faced after beating Oliynykova, with the issue centered on whether being scheduled on Armstrong twice in succession amounted to preferential treatment.

“Yeah, so I’m grateful to be on Armstrong and to play in such an incredible court,” the Filipina replied.

“But yeah, I don’t control the scheduling and my job is to be prepared for whatever court they put me in and whoever they put me or whoever I’m against.”

Eala also addressed the challenge ahead, with 14th seed Iva Jovic awaiting in the third round. She described the opponent in positive terms and acknowledged the level of difficulty involved.

“She’s an amazing player,” Eala said.

“Young, very talented, and very intelligent, of course. She’s a high-ranked player and and very, very accomplished, and I’ve encountered my fair share of challenges against her this year

“But yeah, I mean it’s not under my control who I play. All I can do is, you know, give my best and try to do everything that I can to win.”