The US Open has a friendly warning about not making a big mistake with Alex Eala at the 2026 tournament.
US Open organizers have been encouraged by doubles Grand Slam champion Patrick McEnroe to make smart choices about Alex Eala ahead of the tournament in September.
The 21-year-old Filipina has had a big year on the WTA Tour, winning her first singles title last month at the Washington Open, a WTA 500 event, by beating Jessica Pegula.
In the next two big WTA 1000 events, Toronto and Cincinnati, Eala exited in the Round of 16 and Round of 32.
Her mixed doubles run at the US Open with Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime was short too—they lost in three sets to Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina on Tuesday.
Now, Eala is focusing on the US Open singles tournament, hoping to score her first Grand Slam win after an impressive season.
Patrick McEnroe, a former doubles Slam champ who also made the US Open singles quarter-finals in 1995, has a message for the organizers.
Eala is one of the hottest players in women’s tennis right now. She’s pulling in big sponsorships and bringing fans to stadiums worldwide.
Speaking to ESPN, McEnroe said, “The USTA better put her on the big courts. The New York crowd will go wild for her.”
He added, “It’s going to be a great story. They shouldn’t put her on a side court early on.”
Lindsay Davenport, former world #1, agrees. She calls Eala “the most famous female from the Philippines” and says she deserves to play on the main courts.
Davenport’s opinion was shaped partly by the Australian Open, where Eala had to play on Court Six in her first match. That court was packed beyond capacity, and Davenport had trouble even getting close to watch the match.
Eala won against Davenport’s fellow American Alycia Parks, a player Davenport wanted to see but couldn’t because of the crowd.
“I just wanted to watch Alycia Parks play,” Davenport admitted. “You couldn’t get near that court. So many fans were trying to get in. Eala is definitely one of the most famous sportspeople ever from the Philippines.”
Martina Navratilova also pushed for Eala to be placed on bigger courts during the Australian Open, reminding organizers about Melbourne’s large Filipino fanbase.
This idea applies equally to the US hardcourt season in New York, which has a huge Filipino community nearby in Queens, known as ‘Little Manila.’
Eala’s career looks set to reach Grand Slam glory, though whether that will happen by the 2026 US Open is still unclear.
She already has a strong record against Top 10 players this year and can beat almost anyone when she’s at her best. Former world #1 Greg Rusedski recently highlighted a unique part of her game that could help her make the leap to winning a Slam.
If she does win in the US, Eala would be the second-biggest underdog champion of this decade after Emma Raducanu, who claimed the 2021 US Open as a qualifier.