Greg Rusedski believes that Alex Eala is tennis’ “biggest star” right now as she prepares for her opening match at the 2026 US Open.
The 21-year-old has jumped from 50th in the world at the end of 2025 to inside the top 20 heading into the last Grand Slam of the year. Despite her serve ranking outside the world’s top 50, the Filipina continues to break new ground, with the youngster seeded 17th at Flushing Meadows.
The left-hander has a huge following, both in terms of fans watching her matches in person and hoovering up any Eala-related content on social media.
Ahead of facing American Mary Stoiana on Tuesday, former US Open finalist Rusedski has heaped praise on the Washington Open champion and believes she can have a deep run in New York and even become world No 1 one day.
When asked if Eala feels like the biggest star in tennis at the moment, certainly on social media, Rusedski said on his podcast, “Well, she does. And it was very interesting during the practice sessions, a certain Uncle Tony, Rafael Nadal’s uncle, showed up on the practice courts with her, saw the team out there.
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“And whenever she’s going to practice, the noise for her practice sessions is unbelievable. I think she’ll be pretty comfortable in her opening round. I think something like 6-3 6-3.
“I think she’s got a draw which is difficult but I think she’ll find a way into the fourth round against [Coco] Gauff. I think she has a real shot to win that one if she gets there as well. So I have nothing but respect for her.
“I think she’s got a great mentality. She loves the hard courts. This surface is perfect for the way she plays. If she can just keep on improving that service she’s working on, the sky’s the limit for her. She could get to number one.
“She is right now by far, in my opinion, the biggest star in our game. She gets the most hits on social media, the most views. She is just wonderful for our sport. So I can’t wait for that opener. Looking forward to it and looking forward to ‘Eala Mania’ throughout these two weeks of the championships.”
If Eala beats Stoiana, she could face another American in round two in Reese Brantmeier, although her opponent Oleksandra Oliynykova may have a thing or two to say about that.
In round three, a possible tie with teenager Iva Jovic would make for an eye-catching meeting, particularly as the 18-year-old has won both of their matches in straight sets.
And, Cincinnati champion and one of the favourites for this tournament, Gauff, could be waiting in round four. However, Eala has only reached that stage of a Grand Slam before on one occasion, at this year’s Wimbledon. So it is no guarantee she will make it.
Incidentally, Eala’s popularity at this point is undeniable, as showcased by her YouTube numbers compared to her rivals.
And according to Front Office Sports, ticket prices for her opener at the US Open have surged due to her star power. Eala is set to feature in Tuesday’s night session and that has led to ticket prices skyrocketing due to the demand.
The article states, “The get-in price for US Open session 6, Tuesday’s night session, is $385 (£284) as of Monday afternoon, a 132% increase over the last three days, according to TicketData.
“The price shot as high as $468 (£345) on Sunday after the first-round order of play was announced late Saturday, with Filipina star Alex Eala scheduled for Louis Armstrong Stadium on Tuesday night.
“The increase for session 6 does not follow the overall ticket price trend for the tournament, which has mostly remained steady since the schedule was announced. The average get-in ticket price across all tournament days is $284 (£209.5), only $2 less than three days ago. It still represents a 14.5% increase from last year, which is about how much the percentage increase was leading up to the tournament.”
Whether she can be as box office on the court as she is off it remains to be seen.
