Alex Eala’s 2026 US Open campaign may have ended in the third round, but data from ArenaPlus showed that support for the Filipina tennis star grew strongest when she faced her toughest opponent of the tournament.
Eala’s biggest share of ArenaPlus picks came in her third-round matchup against American Iva Jovic. Despite Jovic entering the match ranked No. 14 in the world and holding a 2-0 head-to-head record against Eala, 71.9 percent of ArenaPlus picks backed the No. 18-ranked Filipina to win.
Eala ultimately lost the three-set battle, 5-7, 6-3, 5-7, ending her singles run at the US Open. Jovic advanced to the fourth round after the match, which lasted around three hours.
The ArenaPlus figures stood out because support for Eala was considerably lower in her first two matches. Only 40 percent of users picked her against American Mary Stoiana, who was ranked No. 122 at the time. Eala went on to win that match comfortably, 6-1, 6-2.
In the second round, just 27.8 percent of ArenaPlus picks backed Eala against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, then ranked No. 46 in the world. Eala again defied those expectations, defeating Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 to reach the third round.
The sharp increase in support against Jovic came despite the difficult matchup. Jovic was ranked four places higher than Eala and had already defeated her twice before their US Open meeting. The two players also have a close friendship that developed on the professional tennis circuit.
For ArenaPlus Head Ethan William, the numbers reflected the growing attention surrounding Eala as she continues to compete against higher-ranked players. He said the support shown during the Jovic match demonstrated the confidence users had in Eala’s ability to challenge top-level opponents.
Eala’s run nevertheless added another significant chapter to her 2026 season. Her US Open campaign included straight-set victories over Stoiana and Oliynykova before the closely contested loss to Jovic.
The attention around Eala has continued beyond New York. She entered the Singapore Tennis Open as the No. 3 seed and world No. 18, beginning her Asian swing after her US Open campaign.
The ArenaPlus data does not measure the views or support of all Filipino tennis fans, but it provides a snapshot of activity among its users. The figures show that within that group, backing for Eala was highest when she faced the most challenging opponent of her US Open run.
