Alex Eala Opens 2026 US Open as 21-Year-Old Filipina Fuels Tennis Boom

3 articles · Updated · Vogue · Sep 1

Armstrong Stadium hosts Alex Eala’s first 2026 US Open match Tuesday night, capping a rise that has made the 21-year-old world No. 18 one of tennis’s fastest-growing draws.
More than 10,000 fans packed each of her Canadian Open night matches in Toronto this month, where Philippine flags, Tagalog cheers and even adobo on the menu underscored her expanding following.
That surge follows a string of milestones: Eala won the 2022 US Open girls’ title, reached the Miami semifinals last year, made the Wimbledon round of 16 this summer and became the first Filipina to win a WTA 500 title in Washington.
In the Philippines, Eala says more people are picking up rackets and competing for court time, while her Wimbledon run brought a hero’s welcome in Manila and a reception with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Eala, who trained from age 13 at the Rafael Nadal Academy, says the growing fame has changed how she moves at home but not her ambitions of winning Grand Slams and Olympic gold.