Alex Eala is back at the US Open, but this time, things feel very different.
A year ago, the Filipina tennis star arrived in New York still trying to establish herself among the world’s best players. Now, she walks into Flushing Meadows as the No. 17 seed, the World No. 18 player and a legitimate name to watch in the women’s singles draw.
And we finally know exactly who she will face first.
Eala will open her 2026 US Open singles campaign against American qualifier Mary Stoiana, with their first-round match scheduled for Tuesday evening in New York — or Wednesday morning, September 2, for fans watching from the Philippines.
The estimated start is around 8:40 a.m. Philippine time, although Filipino fans may want to wake up a little earlier because the exact time depends on the match before theirs.
For anyone following Alex’s incredible rise over the past year, this isn’t simply another first-round match.
This US Open could be the tournament where we find out just how far Eala has progressed from being Philippine tennis’ breakthrough star to becoming a genuine Grand Slam contender.
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Alex Eala vs Mary Stoiana: Quick US Open 2026 Details
- Tournament: 2026 US Open
- Event: Women’s Singles
- Round: First Round / Round of 128
- Alex Eala seed: No. 17
- Alex Eala ranking: World No. 18
- Opponent: Mary Stoiana of the United States
- Stoiana ranking: World No. 122
- Date in the Philippines: Wednesday, September 2, 2026
- Estimated Philippine time: Around 8:40 a.m.
- Location: USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, New York
- Possible second-round opponent: Winner of Oleksandra Oliynykova vs. Reese Brantmeier
The official US Open draw places Stoiana and Eala beside the Oliynykova-Brantmeier matchup, meaning the winners of those two matches will meet in the second round.
Alex Eala Is the No. 17 Seed at the 2026 US Open
Perhaps the biggest difference between Alex Eala’s US Open appearance this year and her previous Grand Slam campaigns is that she is no longer entering as an underdog whom casual tennis fans may overlook.
She is seeded No. 17.
That’s Eala’s highest seeding so far at a Grand Slam tournament and an extraordinary milestone for Philippine tennis.
Her ranking has climbed even higher, reaching a career-best World No. 18 heading into the tournament.
The New Yorker noted this week that Eala’s rise to No. 18 has made her the highest-ranked Southeast Asian woman in tennis history. Reuters similarly described her as the highest-ranked Filipino and Southeast Asian player in WTA history.
Think about how quickly that has happened.
For years, Filipino tennis fans celebrated every time Eala qualified for a major tournament, defeated a highly ranked opponent or moved a few places up the WTA rankings.
Now she is seeded at the US Open.
That’s a completely different level of expectation.
When Is Alex Eala’s Next Match?
Eala is scheduled to play Mary Stoiana on Tuesday, September 1 in New York, which will already be Wednesday, September 2 in the Philippines.
GMA News lists the estimated Philippine start time at around 8:40 a.m.
However, this is not necessarily a fixed 8:40 a.m. start.
Eala’s match comes after the men’s match between Adolfo Vallejo and Gaël Monfils. If that match finishes quickly, Alex could get on court earlier. If it turns into a long battle, her match could begin later.
So if you’re planning to watch from the Philippines, it would be a good idea to monitor the official US Open schedule that morning instead of waiting until exactly 8:40.
And judging by how Filipino fans have been following Eala lately, there will probably be plenty of coffee involved.
Who Is Mary Stoiana?
Mary Stoiana may be ranked well below Eala, but this isn’t the type of first-round opponent Alex can afford to underestimate.
Stoiana is a 23-year-old American who entered the tournament through qualifying and is currently ranked World No. 122.
The 2026 US Open is especially significant for Stoiana because this will be her first appearance in a Grand Slam main draw.
That can actually make qualifiers dangerous.
Players who survive qualifying arrive in the main draw already accustomed to the courts, conditions and atmosphere. Instead of coming into their first match cold, they have already played several competitive matches in New York.
Stoiana had to work her way through three rounds of qualifying to earn her spot opposite Eala.
That means Alex will be facing someone who already has momentum.
Alex Eala Has Beaten Mary Stoiana Before
There is another interesting detail about this matchup: these two players aren’t complete strangers.
Eala and Stoiana met in August 2024 at the W100 tournament in Landisville, Pennsylvania.
Eala won that match in straight sets, 7-5, 6-2.
That previous result should give Eala some confidence, particularly because that match was also played on an outdoor hard court in the United States.
Still, two years is a long time in professional tennis, especially for young players.
Eala is a very different player today.
Stoiana is also more experienced and has just qualified for the biggest main draw of her career.
So while the previous result gives Alex a 1-0 head-to-head advantage, it shouldn’t be treated as a guarantee of what will happen in New York.
Why Alex Eala Is the Favorite on Paper
Based on ranking and recent results, Eala should enter the match as the favorite.
World No. 18 versus World No. 122 is a significant ranking gap.
But the bigger reason for optimism is the tennis Alex has produced throughout 2026.
This isn’t a ranking built from one lucky tournament.
Eala has repeatedly shown that she can beat established stars.
The biggest breakthrough came in Washington earlier this month, where she captured her first WTA Tour singles title.
Her run to the championship was impressive.
She defeated Qinwen Zheng, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula on her way to the trophy.
Reuters reported that Eala’s Washington performance further established her as one of tennis’ fastest-rising players, with former world No. 4 Mary Joe Fernandez praising the improvement in her game.
That’s not an easy sequence of opponents.
Svitolina, Osaka and Pegula are players with experience at the highest levels of women’s tennis. Beating all three during the same tournament showed that Eala is no longer simply capable of pulling off the occasional upset.
She can sustain that level over an entire week.
Don’t Forget What Alex Did at Wimbledon
Eala’s Grand Slam results this season have also changed the way people look at her.
At Wimbledon, she reached the fourth round and scored one of the biggest victories of her career by defeating Iga Świątek.
The New Yorker highlighted that Wimbledon run as another milestone in a season filled with historic achievements for Philippine tennis.
That matters heading into the US Open.
One of the biggest questions surrounding young players is whether they can handle the atmosphere of Grand Slam tennis.
Alex has increasingly shown that she can.
She’s played in front of packed crowds. She’s beaten Grand Slam champions. She’s experienced long three-set matches. She’s played against Top 10 and Top 20 opponents.
And perhaps most importantly, she doesn’t look overwhelmed by those occasions anymore.
From Historic Underdog to Seeded Player
The contrast with the 2025 US Open is fascinating.
Last year, Eala made Philippine tennis history when she defeated Denmark’s Clara Tauson, becoming the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam main-draw singles match in the Open Era.
At the time, that victory felt enormous.
And it was.
But look at where she is only one year later.
Instead of trying to upset a seeded opponent, Eala is now the seeded player someone else is trying to upset.
That’s one of the clearest signs of how dramatically her career has changed.
The challenge is different now.
Being the underdog can sometimes be freeing. There isn’t much pressure when everyone expects the higher-ranked player to win.
Being seeded brings expectations.
Players ranked below Eala will arrive believing that beating her could be one of the biggest victories of their careers.
Alex now has to learn how to deal with that.
The Filipino Crowd Could Be Huge Again
Another thing to expect: plenty of Philippine flags in New York.
Eala’s fan following has become one of the stories surrounding this year’s US Open.
Reuters reported that ESPN analyst Mary Joe Fernandez described the level of support surrounding Alex as extraordinary, noting that Filipino fans have been packing not just her matches but even her practice sessions.
Patrick McEnroe went as far as suggesting that US Open organizers should put Eala on bigger courts because of the crowd she attracts.
The New Yorker witnessed the phenomenon firsthand.
During one of Eala’s practice sessions before the tournament, fans reportedly filled the practice court while nearby courts featuring major champions had seats available. The publication also pointed to Queens’ large Filipino community and described Eala as one of the tournament’s notable attractions this year.
For Alex, a US Open match can sometimes sound surprisingly close to a home match.
You’ll hear “Laban, Alex!”
You’ll see Philippine flags.
And you’ll probably hear cheers after just about every big point she wins.
Sports Illustrated Puts Alex Eala on Its Digital Cover
The attention isn’t limited to the court.
One of the biggest Alex Eala developments just before the US Open was her appearance on the digital cover of Sports Illustrated.
The feature, published August 28, carried the headline describing Eala as the pride of the Philippines and tennis’ next great superstar.
That’s significant.
Sports Illustrated has covered some of the biggest names in global sports, and seeing a Filipina tennis player receive that kind of feature shows how much Eala’s profile has expanded outside the Philippines.
What started as “Eala mania” among Filipino tennis fans is becoming a much bigger international story.
The New Yorker Also Features Alex Eala
Then came another major piece of international media attention.
The New Yorker published an extensive profile on August 29 titled “How Alex Eala Became a Symbol of the Philippines.”
The article didn’t simply focus on her forehand, ranking or tournament results.
It examined why Eala’s success means so much to Filipinos, both at home and throughout the diaspora.
It also detailed her early days training in the Philippines, her development at the Rafa Nadal Academy and the growing number of Filipino children becoming interested in tennis because of her success.
That’s when you realize Alex’s story is becoming bigger than sport.
She Has Already Played at the US Open This Year
Technically, Eala’s singles match against Stoiana will not be her first appearance on court during the 2026 US Open.
She already competed in the tournament’s revamped mixed doubles event alongside Canadian star Félix Auger-Aliassime.
The pair faced Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils and lost 4-1, 4-1.
Eala also participated in the Stars of the Open exhibition event, facing her friend and fellow rising star Iva Jovic. Jovic won their exhibition match 6-3.
Those results won’t affect her singles campaign.
If anything, getting competitive court time in Flushing Meadows before her first-round singles match may help Alex become more comfortable with the conditions.
What Happens If Alex Eala Beats Mary Stoiana?
The draw gives us a clear answer.
If Eala defeats Stoiana, she will advance to the second round and face either Oleksandra Oliynykova of Ukraine or American wildcard Reese Brantmeier.
Their match appears immediately above the Eala-Stoiana matchup in the official draw.
That section of the bracket is interesting.
No. 14 seed Iva Jovic is nearby, while No. 4 seed Coco Gauff sits further down the same portion of the draw.
That doesn’t mean Alex will necessarily face either player. Grand Slam draws change quickly as upsets happen.
For now, the focus should remain on Stoiana.
One round at a time.
What Should Alex Watch Out for Against Stoiana?
The biggest danger may actually be expectation.
Alex is supposed to win based on ranking.
The crowd will probably be on her side.
She has beaten Stoiana before.
She’s seeded.
She’s coming off the best stretch of tennis of her career.
All of that sounds positive, but it also puts pressure on Eala to dictate the match.
Stoiana, meanwhile, has almost nothing to lose.
She’s making her Grand Slam main-draw debut after surviving qualifying. A victory over the World No. 18 would immediately become one of the biggest results of her career.
That’s why Alex will want to avoid giving Stoiana early confidence.
Eala’s aggressive left-handed game works especially well when she’s controlling points from the baseline, taking the ball early and forcing opponents to defend.
If she serves well and keeps her unforced errors under control, she should have the tools to take charge of the match.
But Grand Slam first rounds can get tricky quickly.
Why This US Open Feels Different for Alex Eala
This might be the most interesting part of the story.
Alex Eala doesn’t need to prove anymore that she belongs on the WTA Tour.
She already does.
She doesn’t need to prove she can beat a Top 20 player.
She’s done it repeatedly.
She doesn’t need to prove she can win at a Grand Slam.
She’s done that too.
And after Washington, she doesn’t even need to prove that she can win a WTA title.
Now comes the next question:
How deep can Alex Eala go at a Grand Slam?
That’s the challenge in front of her at the 2026 US Open.
There are still many players ranked ahead of her, and women’s tennis is deep enough that even first-round matches can become difficult.
But Alex is no longer entering these tournaments merely hoping to create history.
She’s entering them with a realistic chance to stay around for the second week.
That’s a remarkable change in such a short period of time.
Alex Eala US Open 2026 FAQs
Who will Alex Eala play in the first round of the 2026 US Open?
Alex Eala will face American qualifier Mary Stoiana.
When is Alex Eala’s next US Open match?
Eala is scheduled to play on Tuesday, September 1 in New York, which is Wednesday, September 2 in the Philippines. The estimated start is around 8:40 a.m. Philippine time, depending on the length of the preceding match.
What is Alex Eala’s ranking?
Eala enters the US Open ranked World No. 18, which is a career high.
What seed is Alex Eala at the US Open?
She is the No. 17 seed in the women’s singles draw.
What is Mary Stoiana’s ranking?
Stoiana is ranked World No. 122 and qualified for the US Open main draw. The tournament marks her Grand Slam main-draw debut.
Has Alex Eala played Mary Stoiana before?
Yes. Eala defeated Stoiana 7-5, 6-2 at the W100 Landisville tournament in Pennsylvania in August 2024.
Who could Alex Eala face in the second round?
If Eala advances, she will face the winner of Oleksandra Oliynykova versus Reese Brantmeier.
Did Alex Eala win a WTA title in 2026?
Yes. She won her first WTA singles title in Washington in August, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final after a run that also included victories over Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina.
How far did Alex Eala go at Wimbledon 2026?
She reached the fourth round after defeating Iga Świątek in the third round.
Final Thoughts
There have been many “firsts” during Alex Eala’s career.
First Filipina junior Grand Slam singles champion.
First Filipino to win a Grand Slam main-draw singles match in the Open Era.
First Filipina to climb into the world’s Top 20.
First WTA singles champion from the Philippines.
And now she arrives at the US Open as the No. 17 seed and World No. 18, with international publications putting her on covers and tennis analysts talking about the size of the crowds following her.
That’s why the 2026 US Open feels like another turning point.
Mary Stoiana will be the first test.
On paper, Alex is favored. She has the ranking, the experience, the previous head-to-head victory and arguably the best form of her career.
But this is the US Open, and nothing should be taken for granted.
For Filipino fans, the next date to remember is Wednesday, September 2, with Alex Eala expected on court at around 8:40 a.m. Philippine time.
Another Grand Slam journey is about to begin.
And this time, Alex Eala isn’t arriving in New York as tennis’ best-kept Filipino secret.
She’s arriving as one of the players the rest of the tennis world is watching.
