It appears that Alex Eala-mania has reached tennis royalty. Monica Seles thinks Saturday's 2026 US Open match between Alexandra Eala and Iva Jovic proved women's tennis deserves best-of-five sets during Grand Slams.
Monica Seles Supports Changing WTA Rules After Alex Eala vs Iva Jovic Battle
The nine-time Grand Slam champion watched the third-round battle — three hours on Arthur Ashe Stadium that ended 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 to send Jovic to the tournament quarterfinals. Now, she's arguing for expanding women's matches.
"I wish it was a 3 out of a 5 set match," Seles posted to her Instagram stories after the epic win.
It's easy to see why. Eala, the 21-year-old from the Philippines, built a 2-0 cushion in the deciding set after the two traded the first two frames.
But 18-year-old Jovic, the homegrown No. 14 seed, erased the deficit to close out the set 7-5, finishing with 44 winners across the match. The contest ended on Jovic's second match point when Eala netted a forehand.
"It took losing my earrings, falling literally flat out on the floor, cuts on my knees, mental breakdowns," Jovic said afterward.
But Seles isn't alone in her push for the women's format to mirror the men's. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka has also endorsed best-of-five sets from the quarterfinals onward.
