Alex Eala Begins US Open Singles Campaign Against American Qualifier Mary Stoiana
NEW YORK — Filipino tennis star Alexandra "Alex" Eala will open her 2026 US Open women's singles campaign against American qualifier Mary Stoiana at Louis Armstrong Stadium.
The match is scheduled as the second fixture of the night session on Tuesday, 1 September (US Eastern Time), translating to Wednesday, 2 September, at approximately 8:40 AM Philippine Standard Time (PST), following the completion of the ATP match between Adolfo Daniel Vallejo and Gaël Monfils.
Eala, currently ranked world No. 18, enters Flushing Meadows as the No. 17 seed, marking her highest career seeding at a Grand Slam tournament and the highest major seeding ever achieved by a tennis player from the Philippines.
The 21-year-old Filipina returns to the main draw of the US Open following a second-round appearance at the venue in 2025. Her lead-up to the final Grand Slam of the 2026 season includes capturing her first WTA singles title at the Washington Open (Mubadala Citi DC Open) in August, alongside notable main-draw appearances at Wimbledon and the Berlin Tennis Open earlier in the year.
Stoiana, ranked world No. 122, secured her main-draw berth by winning three qualifying matches, defeating Harmony Tan (6-4, 6-3), Katie Swan (6-7, 6-3, 6-3), and Yue Yuan (6-3, 4-6, 6-4). The match marks Stoiana's US Open main-draw debut.
The upcoming fixture will mark the second career meeting between the two players. Eala previously defeated Stoiana, 7-5, 6-2, during an ITF Circuit match at the ITF USA 34A event in August 2024.
