Iva Jovic: ‘I want Alex Eala to win every single match that she plays’

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Iva Jovic clearly wants the very best for Alex Eala, claiming that she wants her WTA rival to win every match that she plays.

That, of course, does not include their meetings on the court, of which there have been two so far.

Both of those arrived earlier this year, with Jovic defeating her close friend Eala at the French Open and Queen’s.

The American has now been tasked with suggesting why she has thrived in her matches against her WTA counterpart from the Philippines.

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Iva Jovic wants Alex Eala to win every match she plays

After winning her first match at Wimbledon, Jovic was asked on Tennis Channel what makes her play so well against such close friends.

She said: “Oh my gosh. I don’t know. I actually played quite well both of the times that I played against her.

“I hear we’re doing something at the [US] Open, a little exo, so we’re going to see each other there as well. But I don’t know.

“I played well in those games, and I don’t know that it has anything to do with us being friends or not, but I managed the situation well, and for me it just, it doesn’t affect me that much.

I want her to win every single match that she plays.

“But when we play against each other, we’re just competing. And it’s the same for her. So that’s how it is.”

As well as being on opposite sides of the court, Eala and Jovic have also played doubles together at the likes of Indian Wells and the ASB Classic.

Iva Jovic grew up watching Roger Federer and Serena Williams at Wimbledon

Jovic and Eala could cause upsets at Wimbledon, with the former having already reached the second round.

The American beat Jaqueline Cristian 7-6(7-1), 6-0 in round one, with the Filipina hoping for a similar outcome against Renata Zarazua.

Sharing her earliest memories of the prestigious tournament in London, Jovic said: “I mean it goes back to, I don’t know, when I was so little.

“I remember watching Novak [Djokovic] in a lot of finals here, Roger [Federer] in a lot of finals here, Serena [Williams] obviously in a lot of finals here.

“I loved the [Maria] Sharapova and Serena final as well. I remember that one distinctly. I was I think so incredibly young when that happened.

“But amazing, I don’t know, there are so many amazing finals that I’ve watched here. So that’s the first memory, watching it as a kid.”

Federer and Sharapova have since retired, but remarkably both Djokovic and Williams are playing Wimbledon this year, which Jovic has labelled “crazy!”