No. 17 seed Iva Jovic came through a highly anticipated first-round showdown against Alexandra Eala in straight sets at Roland Garros on Tuesday. The American will next face compatriot Emma Navarro for the second time in as many weeks.

Playing on Court 14, Jovic started strongly against Eala. She earned her first break in the fourth game with a forehand winner down the line to move ahead 3-1. Jovic broke again to build a 5-1 lead before briefly losing momentum.

Three double faults from Jovic in the seventh game helped Eala break back. The Filipina broke once more to cut the deficit to 5-4, but Jovic responded immediately with another break to seal the opening set 6-4.

In the second set, both players exchanged early breaks before Jovic secured another in the sixth game. The American then held serve comfortably and broke again to complete a 6-4, 6-2 victory in 1 hour, 40 minutes. Here are some jey takeaways from Jovic’s win:

Jovic dominates with aggressive play

Jovic was the more aggressive player throughout the match, finishing with 34 winners and 29 unforced errors. Eala managed only 15 winners against 28 unforced errors. Jovic converted six of nine break-point opportunities and also won 70% and 47% of first serve and second serve points respectively. Eala converted only three of nine break points and won 50% and 30% of first serve and second serve points respectively.

Jovic maintains strong opening-round record at majors

Playing in her seventh Grand Slam main draw, Jovic has now advanced past the opening round six times. Her only first-round loss at a major came at Wimbledon last year.

Her best Grand Slam result came at this year’s Australian Open, where she reached the quarterfinals. Jovic also advanced to the second round at Roland-Garros for the second straight year after losing in the second round in 2025.

The defeat means Eala is still searching for her first main-draw win in Paris. She has won only one main-draw match in five Grand Slam appearances.

Navarro awaits in the second round

Jovic’s next opponent will be fellow American Emma Navarro, who defeated Indonesia’s Janice Tjen 6-4, 6-3 in the first round today.

Navarro arrives in Paris fresh off her WTA 500 title run in Strasbourg, where she defeated Jovic in three sets in the second round. That remains the pair’s only previous meeting.