Alex Eala’s latest US Open run may have ended in the third round, but ArenaPlus sportsbook data revealed an interesting trend in how users backed the Filipina throughout her campaign: her toughest test of the tournament drew her strongest support.
Eala’s biggest show of support came against world No. 14 Iva Jovic, who eventually ended the Filipina star’s run in a thrilling three-set battle.
Despite Jovic holding a 2-0 head-to-head advantage over Eala entering their US Open meeting, 71.9% of ArenaPlus picks on the match backed the No. 18-ranked Filipina to beat her good friend.
Eala ultimately fell short, losing 5-7, 6-3, 5-7, but the backing she received against Jovic stood out when compared with her first two matches.
Against American Mary Stoiana, ranked No. 122 in the world, only 40% of ArenaPlus users backed Eala to win. The Filipina nevertheless made quick work of Stoiana, cruising to a 6-1, 6-2 victory.
The support dipped even further in the second round.
Only 27.8% of ArenaPlus picks backed Eala against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, ranked No. 46. Eala again proved the numbers wrong, rolling to a 6-1, 6-4 victory to book her showdown with Jovic.
Support peaked against toughest opponent
Then came the biggest test — and Eala’s biggest backing.
Jovic, ranked four places higher than Eala, had already beaten her twice before their US Open meeting. Yet nearly three out of every four ArenaPlus picks backed Eala to finally get one over her friend.
For Ethan William, Head of ArenaPlus, the numbers reflect the growing belief surrounding Eala as she continues to establish herself among the world’s best.
“Alex has shown time and again that she can compete with the best players in the world, and it’s great to see that confidence reflected in the way our users support her,” said William.
“Her US Open run is another reminder of how much she has grown as a player. Even against a tough opponent like Iva, our users believed she could get the job done.”
Eala may not have gotten the result she wanted against Jovic, who advanced to the fourth round after the three-hour battle.
But her latest Grand Slam campaign once again showed why expectations continue to rise around the 21-year-old Filipina. And perhaps the most telling part of ArenaPlus’ numbers was not simply that users backed Eala — it was when they backed her the most.
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