Alex Eala announces major event to ‘inspire next generation’ following US Open

Alex Eala is set to embark on her US Open campaign, with the 21-year-old having been drawn against a qualifier in her first-round tie.

Her opening round is likely set for Sunday, though the exact timings will not be officially announced until the identity of her qualifier opponent is confirmed.

The Filipina tennis star will be hopeful that her impressive 2026 form continues in the Grand Slam as she aims to go deep into the competition.

Eala will hope she can potentially even challenging for the US Open trophy; she captured her first WTA 500 title earlier this month in the Washington Open.

The 21-year-old has been incredibly busy this season as she has climbed up the rankings, having won 38 of her 58 competitive matches.

She is set to remain busy for the rest of the year, with the Filipina expected to play a host of other tournaments over the coming months before the season comes to an end in Indian Wells.

This prestigious final competition of the year sees the top eight players in the world battle it out at the WTA Finals; however, with Eala only ranked 18th, it is unlikely she will be competing for the silverware.

She has just announced that she will be taking part in an exhibition match in early December against world no 35 Janice Tjen.

The pair will square off at Philippine Arena in her home country.

It is described as an ‘exciting’ event which she hopes will inspire the ‘next generation’ of tennis players.

In an Instagram post, Eala wrote: “I’ve got exciting news, I’m coming home on December 8th. I’ll be playing in the Philippine Arena against Indonesia’s Janice Tjen.

“Get ready for an unforgettable day of world-class tennis and the celebration of national pride designed to inspire the next generation of Filipino tennis players. I can’t wait to share this moment with you and celebrate our culture together.

“Thank you so much for all your support going into the US Open.”

The 21-year-old played in an exhibition match on Thursday against her close friend Iva Jovic at the Arthur Ashe Stadium.

It was a fun affair as the pair brought their fathers on to the court to play with them, with American tennis star Jovic emerging victorious by a score of 6-3.