Alex Eala Is New York Bound for Her Biggest Slam Yet
Alex Eala flew from Ohio to New York this weekend, and she made sure everyone knew it.
Coming For You, NY
“Coming for you NY,” Eala captioned an Instagram Story selfie on Saturday, confirming she had landed in the city ahead of the 2026 US Open. The trip follows a third round exit at the Cincinnati Open, where she fell to world No. 10 Amanda Anisimova in three sets, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6.
Doubles Comes First
New York work starts before Eala steps onto a singles court. She is entering the mixed doubles bracket on a wildcard alongside ATP No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime, a pairing that wraps up by August 26. From there, she faces close friend and world No. 16 Iva Jovic in the Stars of the Open exhibition on August 27, a rematch after Jovic won their two previous meetings in straight sets. Eala’s singles campaign begins when the main draw opens on August 30 and runs through September 13.
The Numbers Behind the Run
Eala arrives at Flushing Meadows with a 36-18 singles record in 2026 and a 22-9 mark on hard courts this season. She is currently ranked WTA No. 20 and is on track for a new career high near No. 18 once rankings update on August 24, which would make her the highest seeded Filipino singles player ever at a major.
A Year Already Full of Firsts
The trip to New York didn’t come out of nowhere. This has been the best season of Eala’s career. At Wimbledon this year, Eala beat defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6(9), 6-2 in the third round to reach the fourth round. That made her the first Filipina to advance to the second week of a Grand Slam. Weeks later, she won her first WTA Tour singles title in Washington, D.C., coming back from a set down to beat Jessica Pegula in the final, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0. Nike marked the season with a limited edition US Open dress designed for her.
What New York Still Has to Answer
Eala has already shown she can play at the level of the tour’s best. The real test is whether she can hold that level across seven straight matches. Her early exits in Toronto and Cincinnati might actually help. She heads into New York with more rest than most of the field.
