Alex Eala earned a dominant victory in her opening match at the 2026 US Open, and the Filipina star has made a jump in the Live WTA Rankings.
The No 17 seed crushed 122nd-ranked qualifier Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 in the first round of the hard-court Grand Slam on Tuesday evening.
Eala broke her 23-year-old American opponent twice in each set, while she saved all six of the break points she faced on her own serve.
The match was played with the roof closed on Louis Armstrong Stadium due to rain on Day 3 of the US Open.
The 21-year-old’s triumph has seen her set up a second round encounter with Oleksandra Oliynykova — a 25-year-old Ukrainian ranked 46th in the world.
Eala is through to the second round of the US Open for the second time, having reached the same stage when she made her main draw debut at Flushing Meadows last year.
“It felt different [to last year], definitely,” Eala said in her press conference. “But not to say that one is more challenging than the other.
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“It’s just different circumstances. It was my first time playing one of the main stadiums here in the US Open and it was very loud.
“And especially when the roof is covered. So that’s something that adds to the atmosphere, but it’s also something you have to navigate.
“Coming in as a seeded player and having done pretty good, I would say this American swing, it brings a different vibe.
“Of course, you’re a little more confident. There’s a little more expectations, but I think I handled it.”
Alex Eala moves up in Live WTA Rankings
Eala started the 2026 US Open at her career-high ranking of world No 18 after winning 10 matches across Washington DC, Toronto and Cincinnati.
Following her opening round triumph in New York, Eala is up two places to a projected new high position of 16th in the Live WTA Rankings.
The Filipina is on 2,216 points, having gained 70 WTA ranking points for her win against Stoiana.
Iva Jovic and Naomi Osaka both started the US Open above Eala in the WTA Rankings, but they have fallen to 17th and 18th respectively in the Live Rankings due to points they have dropped from 2025.
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