Alex Eala’s first-round result at the US Open is pretty interesting, especially with talks about her ‘weakness’ going around.
Alex Eala made headlines with an impressive stat during her first-round win at the US Open against Mary Stoiana. She comfortably beat the American qualifier 6-1, 6-2, moving on to the second round of the 2026 Grand Slam.
The match was held at Louis Armstrong Stadium, and because Eala is so popular, ticket prices jumped by about 134% just before the match started. The 21-year-old will now face Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, ranked 44th in the WTA, on Thursday.
During the game, Eala won five games in a row and converted four out of eight break points. But the most interesting stat was about her first serve, which has been a topic of discussion as she’s quickly risen through the tennis world.
Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, even suggested on Twitter that Eala should rethink her serving technique in the off-season. Meanwhile, former British No. 1 Greg Rusedski said fixing her serve could help her reach world No. 1 one day.
For now, Eala can be proud of winning 76% of her first serves in this match. She started strong with 84% in the first set, which dipped only slightly after the second. This is a big improvement from her 58% first serve win rate in her loss at the Cincinnati Open to Amanda Anisimova, showing she’s clearly worked hard on her serve before the US Open.
To compare, world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka won 63% of her first serves in a recent match, and Coco Gauff won 71%. Elena Rybakina matched Eala’s 76%. Some players like French Open champ Mirra Andreeva (85%) and Jessica Pegula (92%) had even higher rates, with Iga Swiatek at 80%.
Back in August, when Eala won her first WTA title at the Washington Open, she had an impressive 86% first serve win rate in the final against Pegula. After that match, Pegula said Eala seemed to focus more on accuracy than power, making her serve easier to return but still very effective.
All in all, Eala’s serve looks stronger than ever, and fans will be excited to see how she performs next!