Iva Jovic defeated Alex Eala, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round of the Queen’s Club Championships.
The American teenager made light work of her close friend Eala, securing her spot in the quarter-finals.
What is going wrong for Alex Eala against the top players?
She only won four games against Iva Jovic at Queen's…
During her on-court interview, Jovic shared her hope for future matches against the Filipina.
Iva Jovic hopes to play finals against Alex Eala rather than meeting early on in tournaments
“I think it was a good win,” said Jovic.
“Alex is a great player, and I think she loves the grass, having won a title last week, so it was super tough.
“I think I just hung in there on those close games and was able to distance myself just enough.
“But definitely, the scoreline doesn’t show how tough it was.
“It’s more fun playing doubles with her than being on the other side of the net. It’s unfortunate that we have to play in the early rounds; hopefully, we play in some finals soon enough. She’s a great friend of mine; I’m grateful for her.”
During the BBC’s coverage, former British number one Annabel Croft delivered her verdict on Jovic’s win.
Iva Jovic vs Alex Eala – Match stats
| Stats | Iva Jovic | Alex Eala |
| Aces | 4 | 1 |
| Double faults | 4 | 1 |
| 1st Serve % | 55% | 71% |
| Win % on 1st Serve | 78% | 47% |
| 2nd Serve % | 82% | 93% |
| Win % on 2nd Serve | 59% | 29% |
| Net approach points won | 6 | 3 |
| Break points | 5/7 | 1/2 |
| Unforced errors | 8 | 20 |
| Winners | 22 | 10 |
“As she said herself, she underlined it right there, it might have been a 6-2, 6-2 scoreline, but it was much tougher than that scoreline shows,” said Croft.
“She had to battle her way through some pretty tricky games there. But she hung in there, and that’s what makes her such a good match player.
“But her serve % did come up a little bit, Eala dropped off a little bit, but look at the difference in the winner count. That’s impressive, isn’t it!
Croft was impressed with Jovic and believes she will be tough to beat this week.
“What a brilliant performance that was. 6-2, 6-2, over a quality opponent,” she said.
“She was just very efficient, clinical, so impressed with her game plan, really, and her application to the task.
“It’s one thing to come out there with what you have and the weapons, and then having to apply it to a lefty, who is a little bit tricky, very good on the grass courts as well.
“But she more than stood up to it, and took her game to Eala. There weren’t any gaps; there was nowhere to go to get too many unforced errors or much joy.
“Everything she did on this court today was impressive.
“A really, really well-earned victory, and she’s going to take some beating, whoever you put her on court with; she is quite a force on the women’s tour right now.”
Jovic will return to take on either Germany’s Laura Siegemund or the second seed, Amanda Anisimova, in the quarter-finals.
Eala, on the other hand, will now turn her attention to next week’s Berlin Open.
Alex Eala should have one target for the Berlin Open after heavy defeat at Queen’s
The Filipina has enjoyed a strong season so far, but one problem remains.
Eala struggles against the top players, and when she loses, she often loses big.
Of her 14 defeats this year, Eala has only forced a deciding set three times.
And she’s won four or fewer games in five matches this season.
Alex Eala’s worst defeats of 2026
- 2026 Dubai QF [LOSS] vs Coco Gauff, 6-0, 6-2
- 2026 Indian Wells 4R [LOSS] vs Linda Noskova, 6-2, 6-0
- 2026 Miami Open 4R [LOSS] vs Karolina Muchova, 6-0, 6-2
- 2026 Madrid Open 2R [LOSS] vs Elise Mertens, 6-2, 6-1
- 2026 Queen’s 2R [LOSS] vs Iva Jovic, 6-2, 6-2
Heading into the Berlin Open, Eala needs to prove she can compete against the very best in women’s tennis.
Nine of the world’s top 10 are heading to Germany, so she will likely have a chance to redeem herself.
Even if she loses, Eala must try to keep things competitive, and not fall to another heavy defeat.
The 2026 Berlin Open begins on Monday, June 15.
