Eala starts US Open campaign vs American qualifier

MANILA, Philippines — And the battle lines are drawn.

Fresh off making history for the Philippines as a cover feature for both Sports Illustrated and Forbes, Alex Eala will open her 2026 US Open campaign against American qualifier Mary Stoiana on Monday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.

Eala, who is also confirmed to represent the Philippines at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games next month, drew the 23-year-old American in what is expected to be a litmus test in her highly anticipated return to Flushing Meadows.

Stoiana earned her first-ever Grand Slam main draw berth after a grueling qualifying run, capped by a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win over China’s Yue Yuan in the final round. She earlier survived Katie Swan of Great Britain, 6-7(5-7), 6-3, 6-3, and dispatched Harmony Tan of France, 6-4, 6-3.

The first-round match is scheduled for Monday, with the court assignment and start time still to be determined. The winner will advance to the Round of 64 to face either No. 46 Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine or No. 425 Reese Brantmeier of the United States.

The road only gets tougher for Eala from there, with a potential gauntlet in the bottom half that includes No. 14 Iva Jovic, No. 4 Coco Gauff, No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, and No. 2 Elena Rybakina. World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka headlines the top half of the draw.

On paper, Eala holds all the advantages. She enters the tournament at a career-high WTA No. 18 and is seeded No. 17 in the 128-player field – her highest seeding in a Grand Slam main draw. She also owns a head-to-head win over Stoiana, a 7-5, 6-2 victory back in 2024 at the ITF W100 Landisville in Pennsylvania.

Stoiana is currently ranked No. 122, but if history has taught Eala anything, it is to never underestimate the grit and hunger of a heavy underdog under the bright lights of the Big Apple.

Last year, the then-World No. 75 Eala authored a stunning upset herself, defeating World No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(13-11), to become the first Filipina to win a Grand Slam main-draw match.