Jovic defeats Eala at US Open, faces Gauff

American teenager Iva Jovic defeated her close friend and rising star Alexandra Eala in a grueling three-set match at the U.S. Open on Saturday night, September 5, 2026. The victory, which lasted more than three hours, secured Jovic a spot in the fourth round and set up an all-American showdown against fourth-seeded Coco Gauff. The 14th-seeded Jovic, 18, won the third-round match on Arthur Ashe Court with a score of 7-5, 3-6, 7-5. She overcame a break down in the decisive third set, rallying from 4-2 to claim the win. The match was a back-and-forth battle between two of the sport's emerging young talents, with both players trading breaks of serve throughout. Jovic's victory extended her head-to-head record against Eala to 3-0, with wins on all three surfaces. "That felt like a marathon, and I felt like I lost my sanity five times over to win that match, but it's really worth it for this feeling," Jovic said in her on-court interview. She acknowledged the crowd's energy, noting, "I just tried to take my time in those moments and feel the energy, feel the crowd, even though they weren't always rooting for me.