Alex Eala returned to New York this week carrying a different kind of energy — calmer, brighter, and unmistakably confident. Twelve months ago, she was World No. 75, celebrating her first-ever Grand Slam main draw win.
Today, she walks into the US Open as the 18th-ranked player in the world, one of the sport’s fastest-rising names.
This year, she wasn’t just invited — she was chosen. Eala was handpicked for the US Open’s “Stars of the Open” showcase, playing a one-set exhibition against close friend and World No. 14 Iva Jovic.
The moment Eala stepped onto Arthur Ashe Stadium, the crowd — packed with Filipinos waving flags and wearing custom shirts — erupted. She fell behind early, 0–2, after Jovic broke serve, but quickly leveled at 2–2 with a break of her own. Jovic eventually steadied and closed out the set, 6–3, but competition wasn’t the point of the day.
This was a celebration.
Midway through the match, 13-year-old Amanda Marcano-James of the Harlem Junior Tennis Program was invited onto the court for a playful 2‑vs‑1 rally with Eala and Jovic — a moment that had the stadium cheering like it was match point at a Slam.
And before the exhibition wrapped, the two stars pulled off the day’s sweetest surprise: They called their dads — Bojan Jovic and Mike Eala — onto the court for a lighthearted “dad-and-daughter doubles” cameo.
