Alex Eala returns to the US Open a year after making history as the first Filipino player to win a Grand Slam singles main-draw match in the Open Era. Now 21 and ranked a career-high No. 18, the WTA champion enters Flushing Meadows with legitimate expectations of a deep run. Her breakthrough 2025 season included a title at the Mubadala DC Open, where she defeated Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula, a quarterfinal run in Dubai highlighted by a win over Jasmine Paolini, and a fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon featuring a victory over Iga Swiatek.

Eala's game has evolved significantly. She is now more selective with her forehand, using depth and court position to construct points, while her serve has gained variety and her transition from defense to offense has sharpened. Physically, she has proven she can withstand extended matches during her Wimbledon and Washington campaigns.

The psychological landscape has shifted as well. Eala acknowledges the pressure of being a Top 20 player but frames it as self-imposed obligation. "I'm a very self-demanding person," she said after her Washington final win over Leylah Fernandez. "I have the expectations I have on myself." Where a second-round appearance was historic in 2025, anything short of a deep run this year risks being viewed as a disappointment.