Eala pairing with Auger-Aliassime

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala will try to etch another “first” in her rising international tennis career.

Eala will team up with world No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in her first-ever Grand Slam mixed doubles stint in the US Open on Aug. 30 to Sept. 13 in Flushing Meadows, New York.

The US Open announced the entry list yesterday ahead of the kickoff of the hard-court swing in the Mubadala DC Open in Washington. The tourney is part of Eala’s build-up for the US Open.

Eala, WTA No. 29, is coming off a Round of 16 finish in the Wimbledon where Auger-Aliassime finished in the Last 8 following a tough five-setter loss to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia.

Both have ties with the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain with Eala as a scholar graduate and Auger-Aliassime training under Toni Nadal.

Djokovic, at 39 years old, definitely looms as a contender in the mixed doubles after joining forces with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to headline the 16-team list.

Other marquee pairs are Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina and USA’s Taylor Fritz, USA’s Jessica Pegula and Jack Draper of Great Britain, and USA’s Taylor Townsend and Germany’s Alexander Zverev.