(Right) Alex Eala and Iva Jovic beat Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. Photo from Bench Eje via Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
Alex Eala opened her 2026 season in emphatic fashion, delivering a statement win on Monday at the ASB Classic in Auckland alongside American teenager Iva Jovic.
In their first match of the year, the youthful pairing stunned tennis fans by defeating former world No. 1 Venus Williams and former world No. 3 Elina Svitolina, 7-6, 6-1, in a high-quality doubles encounter.
The opening set was a tense, nip-and-tuck battle that stretched deep into a tiebreak, highlighted by a long, intense final rally that Eala and Jovic converted to seal the set.
Carrying that momentum into the second, the younger duo ultimately dominated the second set.
Eala’s partner, Jovic, continues to establish herself as one of the WTA Tour’s brightest young talents.
Still just a teenager, Jovic has already cracked the WTA Top 40 in singles, won a WTA Tour title, and boasts junior Grand Slam doubles titles at the Australian Open and Wimbledon, signaling her versatility across formats.
On the other side of the net, Williams, now 45, remains a towering figure in tennis history with seven Grand Slam singles titles and 14 Grand Slam doubles championships, while Svitolina remains a consistent Top-20 presence on tour.
For Eala, the victory marks a huge confidence boost to start the year, as she continues to gain valuable experience against elite opposition on the WTA circuit.
She now shifts her focus back to singles, with her next match scheduled for Tuesday afternoon, January 6, where she is set to face Donna Vekic in Auckland.
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