Alex Eala is set to be one of the biggest attractions at the US Open this year, such is her growing popularity on the WTA Tour.

The Filipina star has been selling out venues all summer, particularly at the Canadian Open and the Cincinnati Open on the North American hardcourt swing.

Eala has also been a big hit at the Grand Slams this year, where there were lines of queues heading out of the stadium at the Australian Open.

As a result, Patrick McEnroe has urged the US Open to be logical when it comes to choosing which courts Eala plays on for the 2026 tournament.

More Alex Eala news

Speaking to ESPN, McEnroe said: “The USTA better make sure they put her on big courts. In New York, I think the crowd is going to be wild for her. It’s going to be a great story. Better make sure they don’t put her on one of those side courts early in the tournament.”

This is not the first time a Grand Slam has come underfire for their scheduling decisions when it comes to Eala this year.

At the Australian Open, Lindsay Davenport and Martina Navratilova were far from happy with the star being put on court six for her first round match with Alycia Parks.

Davenport said: “She [Eala] probably needed to be on a bigger showcourt. She’s – I think – probably the most famous female from the Philippines, certainly one of the most famous people ever to come through there sporting world, and there were so many fans here who were just waiting to get in there.

“I just wanted to go see Alycia Parks play,” continued the American. “You weren’t getting anywhere near that court.”

Navratilova then urged future Grand Slams to be wiser when scheduling Eala’s match going forward.

“The organisers need to keep more in mind where the players are from and what the actual fan base is here,” Navratilova explained. “Because there’s massive Filipino audience in Melbourne, in Australia, so keep that in mind next time you make the schedule.”

Having taken the North American hardcourt swing by storm so recently, it’s very unlikely that Eala will be put anywhere other than Louis Armstrong or Arthur Ashe.

There is a big community of Filipinos in Woodside, Queen’s in New York City, so much so that is has been dubbed Little Manila.

They are almost definitely set to flock to Eala’s matches at Flushing Meadows this year, so the star will need to be on a showcase court at the US Open.