Alex Eala exits French Open in Jovic loss

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Alex Eala’s French Open campaign ended swiftly in the first round with a 4-6, 2-6 loss to Iva Jovic on May 26, 2026, at Stade Roland-Garros in Paris, France.

With the loss, Eala suffered two consecutive first-round exits in the 2026 Grand Slam tournament calendar as she failed to bounce back from her Australian Open defeat at the hands of big-serving Alycia Parks of the United States.

Despite a near come-from-behind effort after winning three consecutive games to inch within 4-5, the Filipina tennis star could not sustain her momentum and was undone by a string of unforced errors in the 10th game of the first set.

Jovic initially had momentum after establishing a commanding double-break lead, 5-1, to move a game away from taking a 1-0 advantage.

However, Eala had a courageous fightback, breaking the American netter twice to extend the first set and put the pressure back on Jovic.

Just when the Filipino fans thought Eala could maintain her consistent groundstrokes, an anticlimactic ending silenced the crowd after Jovic broke back in emphatic fashion to draw first blood.

Eala had plenty of chances to steamroll and retake the lead, but several unfortunate unforced errors, especially on her first-ball returns, rewarded Jovic with several free points.

Both players traded games to start the second frame, but the complexion of the match entirely changed when Jovic broke Eala in the sixth game to grab a 4-2 lead.

Eala had two bright chances to disrupt Jovic from holding in the next game, but her wide down-the-line forehand attempt was called out, followed by a sloppy third-ball return that resulted in a backhand drive winner.

Jovic then capped the second-set duel with the same pattern as the opener, breaking Eala’s serve while banking on her deep topspin returns that favored the clay-court conditions.

After the slugfest, Jovic pulled away in the offensive department after tallying 72 points won, including three service aces, six break points, and 35 points on the return.

On the other hand, Eala won only 53 total points and clearly struggled with her service possessions, recording only a 50 percent win rate on her first serves.