Alex Eala heads to New York for US Open

Floyd Brenz., Philippine Canadian Inquirer
August 22, 2026

Photo Courtesy: Alex Eala/Instagram

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala is on her way to New York as she prepares for her second appearance in the US Open, where she will look to build on her historic performance in last year’s Grand Slam tournament.

The 21-year-old Eala, currently ranked No. 20 in the world, is poised to earn a seeding in the women’s singles draw. She announced her trip to New York through a social media post on Saturday.

Eala made history at the 2025 US Open by becoming the first Filipina to win a Grand Slam main-draw match. She defeated Clara Tauson in a come-from-behind victory in the opening round before losing to Cristina Bucsa in the second round.

The US Open has also been a special tournament for Eala since her junior career. She reached the girls’ singles quarterfinals in 2021 before capturing the junior title the following year. In the 2022 final, she defeated Lucie Havlickova to become a Grand Slam junior champion.

Eala is entering this year’s US Open with strong momentum following an impressive North American swing. She captured her breakthrough WTA title at the Mubadala DC Open, then advanced to the Round of 16 at the Canadian Open and the Round of 32 at the Cincinnati Open.

Aside from the women’s singles competition, Eala is also set to compete in the mixed doubles event with world No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime.

With her ranking and recent results, Eala will be looking to make another deep run in New York and continue her rise among the world’s top women’s tennis players.