Alex Eala Touches Down in New York for US Open Main Draw Debut

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by Misha Cruz

Tennis star Alex Eala arrived in New York.
Tennis star Alex Eala arrived in New York. Photo: Instagram.

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala has officially arrived in New York, ready to take part in the 2025 US Open — her long-awaited debut in the tournament’s main draw.

The 20-year-old confirmed her arrival on Thursday through a social media post captioned, “New York, New York.” The trip marks her return to competition after a challenging stretch of injuries that forced her to miss multiple events in recent weeks.

Eala has not played since her first-round exit at the Montreal Open in July, where shoulder problems hampered her performance in a loss to 2019 Wimbledon champion Markéta Vondroušová. The same injury kept her out of the Cincinnati Open and Monterrey Open, leaving her sidelined during an important part of the summer calendar.

Currently sitting at World No. 70 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association rankings — a slight drop from her career-best of No. 56 in June — Eala enters the US Open hoping to make a statement. This will be her third main draw appearance in a Grand Slam after earlier campaigns at the French Open and Wimbledon this year.

Her most notable showing came at Wimbledon, where she pushed defending champion Barbora Krejcikova to three sets before eventually falling, 6-3, 2-6, 1-6. That performance reaffirmed her ability to hang with the sport’s elite despite her relative inexperience on the biggest stages.

Alex Eala dealing with pain in her shoulder.
Alex Eala dealt with pain in her shoulder. Photo: Getty Images.

The US Open presents a particularly promising opportunity for the young Filipina, given that the tournament will be played on hard courts — the surface that best suits her aggressive, baseline-driven style of play. It also holds special significance for Eala, who previously captured the junior singles title in Flushing Meadows, making her return to New York a symbolic full-circle moment.

Draws for the tournament have yet to be revealed, but Eala will face a stacked field headlined by reigning champion and World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Regardless of the matchup, her participation signals a positive step forward after weeks of uncertainty caused by her shoulder injury.

Beyond New York, Eala is also expected to compete in the SP Open in São Paulo, Brazil — the city’s first WTA event in over two decades. There, she will aim to build momentum and regain her earlier season form that saw her reach her first WTA final in Eastbourne.

For now, though, all eyes are on New York as the Filipina standout prepares for her biggest stage yet.