Alex Eala opens up about life beyond tennis while chasing her dream at the US Open
Alex Eala gave a cool look into her life beyond tennis just before her US Open match against Mary Stoiana.
This year has been amazing for her on the WTA Tour. She made history by winning her first title at the Washington Open earlier this month. The 21-year-old beat Jessica Pegula 6-4, 6-4 in the final, keeping up her great record against top-10 players and gaining lots of fans along the way.
After that, she reached the round of 16 in Toronto but lost to Olympic gold medalist Belinda Bencic. Then, she made it to the round of 32 in Cincinnati before losing to Amana Anisimova—both big WTA 1000 events.
Everyone has been watching her at the US Open, though she had a rough start, going out early in the Mixed Doubles with Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. Now, she’s hoping for better luck in singles as she takes on Mary Stoiana, aiming to win her first Grand Slam.
Before the match, Alex talked about her exciting year, including her new partnership with Nike. She even showed off her personalized shoes at the ‘Stars of the Open’ event in the US, made to celebrate her Washington win.
“Yeah, I walked out yesterday wearing a gift from Nike,” she said. “It’s a special shoe made to celebrate my first title in Washington, with really cool details.”
Alex also shared what she loves doing when she’s not playing tennis. She enjoys exploring New York City, especially visiting restaurants and shopping — and she’s a big fan of cafes and bakeries too. “I’m such a foodie. Maybe it’s the Filipino in me,” she laughed.
She’s found some favorite spots in New York she visits every year but hasn’t tried Filipino food there yet. “I hear a lot of Filipino places are in Queens, but that’s far from where I’m staying. It’s tricky because I try to stick to places that are close and easy to get to.”
For young athletes, believing in yourself is key, and Alex has plenty of confidence and a positive attitude to match. When asked about how her self-belief has grown, she said:
“I think I’ve always had a strong base of belief in myself. Of course, it goes up and down sometimes — that’s normal. There are tough moments and easier ones. But overall, my confidence has stayed steady and maybe grown slowly.”
“That foundation is important—I know what I’m capable of, who I am as a person, and what my character is. The results might change depending on the time of year and how things are going, but that belief is always there.”