Alex Eala said she has “experienced so much growth in the past year” as she spoke to the media ahead of her 2026 US Open campaign.
The world No 18, who is seeded 17th, will face 122nd-ranked American qualifier Mary Stoiana in the opening round at Flushing Meadows.
Eala is making her second US Open main draw appearance, having reached the second round on her debut at the 2025 edition of the New York Grand Slam.
Here is everything Eala said in her pre-tournament press conference at the US Open.
Q. I remember your first match here last year where… so, going from that to what you’re experiencing now, you were headlining the Stars of the Open and a big crowd, how have you experienced that journey from the US Open last year to now?
EALA: Well, I think I’ve experienced so much growth in the past year and so many milestones in my career. I think there’s so many lessons in particular in terms of, I’ve gotten to work closely with so many, so many amazing tennis players. I’ve gotten to experience more of their work ethic, obviously being in this environment a lot more. And I’ve gotten to compete against the best of the best a lot more frequently, so yeah, I think I’m lucky enough to have experienced so many matches such as that one in US Open last year, where the court was packed and the atmosphere was amazing against very formidable opponents. So super lucky.
Q. What do you remember from the match last year at the US Open against [Taylor] Townsend?
EALA: I remember that I was 5-1 down in the third and it was a very tough comeback for me. I know she was dominating me for a lot of the match. And yeah, it was, I think, definitely one of my most memorable matches of that year.
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Q. I think on your shoe, there is a custom commemoration of your title in DC. I’m curious, what was your reaction when you saw that? And what emotion does it evoke to see your achievements on the shoe?
EALA: Yeah, I walked out yesterday in a gift from Nike that I received. It’s a shoe to celebrate my first title in Washington, and it was so personalised and had all these super, super sick details. So, it’s crazy because they also gave me a gift when I won the 2022 Juniors US Open. So, it’s kind of a similar moment. And I really appreciate that from them because we have a great relationship ,and I love the team at Nike so much. So yeah, it’s super sentimental.
Q. Was the 2022 Juniors US Open your first time to New York? And I’m curious, what was your impression of the city on your first trip? And what has your adaptation to it been like?
EALA: That was not my first trip to New York. If I recall correctly, I played a eight and under tournament here in New York, I think in the old US Open site. And it was a little tournament. And I remember that was the very first time we kind of snuck into the grass courts and I hit my brother for 15 minutes on there. So, I’ve come back after that in 2019 to play my first Junior’s and then again 2022. So it’s nice to revisit this place and experience it a little bit differently in different stages of my life. I definitely think New York is like what it’s known for, the hustle and bustle. It’s a very busy city, but I would love to have more time to explore the different boroughs. I think I’m very… it’s all midtown and the courts and midtown and the courts. So if I do have more time, I would love to experience more of it.
Q. Reflecting on your win in 2022 and the Juniors, when you come back to Flushing Meadows, what specific memories or feelings return when you step back onto the grounds?
EALA: I mean, it’s just excitement. I’m very excited. When I go in the locker room, I have the same locker, not as back then in 2022, but as the recent years. And to hit the practice courts and to see very familiar faces. It’s nice.
Q. How aware you are of the impact you’re having on tennis? I think everybody in the media is kind of aware that, put your name in the headlines for something and it’ll get 10 times the hits. It’s like it’s a game changer for the sport in terms of an attention economy. And that’s that’s a lot on one person’s shoulders. I just wondered how aware you are of that, how you experience that.
EALA: Well, I think at the forefront of everything is gratitude. I’m very grateful for the support right, that my that my fans give me and that my supporters give me. But in terms of what I contribute to the tennis, every single WTA player and every single ATP player has contributed to the world of tennis and its history just by being here and by putting in the work every single day. So, although there are certain things like the media and the things that you mentioned that make me stand out, I think that I’m a drop in the ocean when it comes to these things. And the more I’m on tour, the more I learn about the history. Of course, this year, having had the pleasure to play doubles twice with Venus [Williams], I’ve learned a lot about her mentality on court, but also things about how she championed equal prize money with her sister and things like that. And maybe the regular player on tour who’s not so exposed to the media, what they’ve had to work towards and what they’ve had to work through to get to where they are now, is so inspiring in itself. So there are so many stories behind the scenes that you might not even realise. So that really keeps me humble. It keeps me motivated to work harder and be among and stay among these incredible people.
Q. It was announced that there’s going to be a match, an exhibition match between you and Janice Tjen in the Philippine Arena, potentially break a record for the most fans in a match. It’s like 55,000 can fit. When did you first hear about this concept? Why were you on board for it? And what do you expect in terms of playing in an arena that fits that many people?
EALA: Yeah, I’ve never even been to the Philippine Arena. So I don’t know what to expect except for great competition. And like I said, it’s a way to celebrate culture, to celebrate tennis and for people to have fun. It’s nice. I think it’s going to be a really great experience for people to watch tennis live. A lot of my matches are… no, like 99% of my matches are overseas, so for me to be back home and playing in front of the people in the Philippines, it’s going to be super special.
Q. Alex, you talked about wanting to explore the city. When you do have time in a foreign city to explore, what sorts of things do you like to do? Are you a museum person? Do you like to see a show?
EALA: I am definitely a restaurant person and a shopping person. So those are my two. Or maybe like cafes, bakeries. I love that. I am such a foodie. Maybe it’s the Filipino in me. But yeah, I have even here in New York, like some spots that I go really every year. I have not tried the Filipino food here. I hear a lot of the spots are here in Queens and it’s quite far from where I’m staying. It’s very difficult because I try to stick to kind of what’s close by, what’s easy, accessible.
But like I said, if I had more time, I would love to. I think New York, it’s like a mixing pot of, you can find everything here and of really good quality.
Q. Alex, do you think that you might have benefited from being the younger sibling of an older sibling who was an accomplished player? And have you ever thought about if those roles were switched, if maybe it would have helped him?
EALA: I definitely benefitted from being the younger sister. I have the best big brother in the world. He’s so nice. And yeah, I will never be able to beat him in tennis, I think even if I’m like number one in the world, I’ll always have this sort of disadvantage. And I think if I were the older sister, I don’t think I would be as nice as he is to me. He’s definitely — I have to say — he’s definitely the nicer one between me and him. Yeah, between the siblings.
Q. How would you describe the way your belief in yourself has grown with what you’ve learned about what you can accomplish?
EALA: I think I have a pretty strong baseline of belief in myself. And of course, it can all, it’s very normal that it fluctuates. There are moments where it’s more difficult to believe in yourself. And there are moments where it’s much easier. But I think my baseline has remained quite steady, and maybe on an incline, but a very, very, very slow incline. I think that’s what’s important is to have that foundation of, I know what I can do, I’m strong, who I am as a person, what my character is. And then of course, the results may vary, depending on the time of the year and how you’re doing at the moment.
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