.png){kind=spacer}
1 hour ago
1
Upgrade to High-Speed Internet for only ₱1499/month!
Enjoy up to 100 Mbps fiber broadband, perfect for browsing, streaming, and gaming.
Visit Suniway.ph to learn
Philippines’ Alexandra Eala and United States’ Iva Jovic hug at the net after their first round match in the French Open tennis tournament in Paris, France. –IVA JOVIC INSTAGRAM
MANILA, Philippines — There was nothing but love between Alex Eala and Iva Jovic after their first-round battle at the French Open.
Jovic scored a 6-4, 6-2 victory that ended Eala’s singles campaign on Tuesday, but the two close friends took it in stride.
READ: Alex Eala falls to Iva Jovic in French Open first round
“One of those days I wish there could be two winners,” Jovic wrote in an Instagram post, to which Eala replied, “No one I’d rather share the court with.”
Even in the days leading up to the French Open, the two–along with friends Eva Lys and Zeynep Sönmez–spent time together in Paris and practiced alongside each other.
View this post on InstagramA post shared by Iva Jovic (@iva_jovic07)
The group even surprised Eala with a birthday cake and a song during a practice session.
Jovic, currently ranked No. 17 in the world, said Eala provided a difficult opening-round matchup at Roland Garros.
“I think it was a tough one. Alex is a great player, one of the toughest first rounds, especially as a seed, that I could have gotten,” Jovic said. “But I hung tough when I needed to and was happy to get it done in straights.”
READ: Alex Eala proves she’s earned her place among world’s best
While Jovic raced to a 5-1 lead in the opening set, she had to fend off Eala in deuce-filled games before the Filipino pulled within 5-4.
In the second set, the two stood toe-to-toe through the opening four games before Jovic pulled away for the victory.
“We play doubles together a ton, so I think we both know our tendencies, and everyone was ready for the other one,” Jovic said. “It was just about who was going to play their game a bit better that day.”
Jovic emphasized her friendship with Eala and how valuable their relationship has been during the rigors of the tour.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
“She’s definitely one of my closest friends on tour. I have so much respect for her as a person and a player,” she said. “We had a big hug before the match, a big hug after, so no bad blood there.”
Jovic may have earned the first win in their head-to-head rivalry, but she expects Eala to eventually return the favor.
“I’m sure there will be many more matches, and she’ll get me a couple of times too. So that’s tennis,” she said.
