Why Alex Eala feels lucky despite US Open loss to Iva Jovic

Alex Eala walked off Arthur Ashe Stadium having just lost, and still found a way to call herself lucky. The 21-year-old Filipina fell to close friend Iva Jovic 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in a three-hour third-round battle on Saturday, the deepest she has ever gone at the US Open. Rather than dwell on the defeat, Eala spent her press conference reflecting on how far the journey has taken her.

The emotions caught up to her when she was asked what the support from the Filipino community meant. She briefly broke down before gathering herself.

“It’s indescribable to sum up the support and how it makes me feel in just a few words,” Eala told reporters after the match. “It’s a real privilege to experience this in a lifetime.”

Alex Eala kept it real after her deepest run in the US Open yet

“It’s indescribable to sum up the support and how it makes me feel in just a few words. It’s a real privilege to experience this in a lifetime… Playing on Arthur Ashe, and feeling the support, being in those…

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Then she widened the lens to the whole experience. “Playing on Arthur Ashe, and feeling the support, being in those environments, learning these lessons, and fighting and doing what I love, I’m really happy,” she said. “I’m really lucky to have these opportunities, to have these people support me, and to be working hard, to be able to work hard, to be able to live this life how I’m living it.”

The gratitude was earned. Eala arrived in New York on the back of a breakout stretch that included her first WTA title in Washington and a career-high ranking of No. 18. Seeded 17th, she cruised through her opening two rounds before running into Jovic, the 14th-seeded American who had already beaten her twice this year.

Saturday’s loss came in front of a crowd that turned Arthur Ashe into something close to a home match. Filipino flags filled the stands, and the support only swelled as the match tightened. After the final point, Eala crossed the net to hug Jovic before walking off visibly moved.

The result caps a season of steady climbing for the rising star, who reached the fourth round at Wimbledon earlier in the year and has grown into one of the sport’s biggest draws, with tournaments shifting her to bigger courts to meet the demand.

For Eala, the takeaway was not the scoreline, but rather everything around it; the stage, the people, and the chance to keep doing what she loves.

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