Iva Jovic and Alex Eala have fast become one of tennis’ most adored friendships, with their relationship made more prominent by the latter’s popularity.
Despite her relative infancy on the WTA Tour, the Filipina superstar is already being heralded as the saviour of women’s tennis, even if she only won her first event this year.
The huge following she has brought to the sport in such a short space of time explains why she is already being so readily marketed, and anyone within her circle seems to be benefiting from her fame too.
Iva Jovic is one such example, who was already widely regarded as one of the most promising young talents even before her friendship with Alexandra Eala became apparent.
However, to have two top-level players competing at the apex of the sport is always bound to provide a little friction, especially when they are forced to play one another on the biggest stages.
Iva Jovic shares how she feels about facing friends like Alex Eala on court
There is arguably no bigger stage than a night session at the Arthur Ashe Stadium, where Jovic and Eala contested their third-round match at the US Open.
After over three hours of enthralling, gruelling tennis, the American teenager emerged victorious. She lost in the following fourth round, but has bounced straight back by winning the Guadalajara Open title for the second straight year.
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Speaking whilst at that event, the 18-year-old was asked what it’s like facing her friends on court, having beaten Zeynep Sonmez, another within this friendship group, en route to the trophy.
Jovic admitted: “It’s a strange one, but I think all of us are professional, and when we step on the court, we do our best to win, and all of that is aside, but I have no problems being friends and still being competitors.
“I don’t think it messes up anything on the court, and they’re both of those girls you mentioned are one of the best and nicest people, so I’m really grateful to have them in my life.”
Jovic had a kind message for Eala’s Filipino fans after their US Open thriller, and it is this nation which seems to be spearheading something of a revolution in tennis right now.
Alex Eala discusses her impact on tennis in the Philippines again
With Eala at the forefront, tennis in the Philippines has never been bigger.
And, speaking ahead of her upcoming appearance at the Singapore Open, with ABS-CBN News, the 21-year-old discussed how proud she is of the impact she knows she’s had on the sport in her home nation.
She admitted: “Seeing the growth of tennis in the Philippines, I guess in the past year, too, I just really just touched my heart in a way that’s very hard to describe because I grew up and tennis was never a popular sport for us, and now everyone wants to pick up a racket, everyone of all ages, and everyone wants to put their kids in tennis, and then the kids themselves want to play tennis, and they feel empowered when they do so.
“And, you know, I feel like two worlds are colliding for me, because growing up, I found that, you know, travelling so much for tennis and competing, overall, tennis has always kind of been somewhat international.
“And, of course, the Philippines is my home. So now I’m able to see it emerge and I’m able to see tennis in the Philippines, and it thrive in the Philippines.
“So, it just makes my heart very happy.”
This came just after Eala outlined her vision for the future of women’s tennis.
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