Alex Eala’s campaign at the 2026 US Open ended with a pulsating third round defeat, but how has her run in New York affected her WTA ranking?

The Filipina icon was beaten 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 by world No 14 Iva Jovic in a three-hour thriller in Arthur Ashe Stadium on Saturday night.

The 21-year-old crushed Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 in the opening round before she downed Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 in the second round.

Eala was making her second main draw appearance at the US Open after she reached the second round at last year’s event.

In her press conference after losing to Jovic, Eala said: “I do think I have grown as a player since the last time we played each other.

“And I definitely think I had my chances in this match. I was able to set myself up for some opportunities, which was great.

“I’m happy with the match. Of course, there’s disappointment in losing, but I’m trying to see the positive side.

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“The level in this match was really high. It was a really good match, and congrats to Iva for pushing through.”

Eala added: “I don’t think that being friends affects how much we fight on court or how badly we want it.

“It’s just a part of life. We’re friends, but also professionals.”

Alex Eala’s ranking

Eala began the US Open at a career-high ranking of world No 18, having amassed eight wins across tournaments in Washington DC, Toronto and Cincinnati.

After her third round result at Flushing Meadows, Eala has 2,276 ranking points, and she remains 18th in the Live WTA Rankings.

She is just 40 points behind 17th-placed Naomi Osaka, who will face Elena Rybakina in the last 16, while she is 114 points adrift of 16th-placed Jovic, who will play Coco Gauff.

The world No 18 could still be overtaken by Emma Navarro and Anastasia Potapova — both of whom are still competing at the US Open.

Eala’s rise up the rankings in 2026 has been hugely impressive, with the Filipina having started the season as the world No 53.