{"id":20267,"date":"2026-09-04T13:45:32","date_gmt":"2026-09-04T13:45:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=20267"},"modified":"2026-09-04T13:45:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-04T13:45:32","slug":"sometimes-i-forget-that-im-also-kind-of-famous-alex-eala-is-rewriting-tennis-stardom-at-us-open-2026-tennis-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/?p=20267","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Sometimes I forget that I&#8217;m also kind of famous&#8217;: Alex Eala is rewriting tennis stardom at US Open 2026 | Tennis News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"e9jwa\">\n<div class=\"vdo_embedd\">\n<div class=\"GfdvZ\">\n<section class=\"_bIDB  clearfix id-r-component leadmedia undefined undefined  E9tg9 \" style=\"top:0px\">\n<div class=\"_bIDB\" data-ua-type=\"1\" onclick=\"stpPgtnAndPrvntDefault(event)\">\n<div class=\"ypVvZ\">\n<div class=\"WGttI\"><img src=\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133764756,imgsize-58952,width-400,height-225,resizemode-4\/us-open-tennis.jpg\" alt=\"'Sometimes I forget that I'm also kind of famous': Alex Eala is rewriting tennis stardom at US Open 2026\" title=\"Alexandra Eala (AP Photo)\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"Ta7d_ img_cptn\"><span title=\"Alexandra Eala (AP Photo)\">Alexandra Eala (AP Photo)<\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>NEW YORK CITY: No sooner had Alexandra Eala closed out her second-round match on Louis Armstrong Stadium than a rush of activity erupted on the rear deck of the packed arena. Feet shuffled, voices rose and squeals rang out as young fans, most of them little girls in tennis attire clutching giant tennis balls, raced down the stairs, desperate to get as close to the Filipina as possible for an autograph.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"2\"\/>Eala, 21, needed just 64 minutes to beat Ukraine\u2019s Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 and reach the third round of the US Open, her deepest run in New York.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"4\"\/>Yet at a career-high No. 18 in the world, the highest for a Southeast Asian in WTA history, Eala\u2019s following appears to be growing faster than her resume. The first Filipino to defeat top-10 opponents, reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event, win a WTA Tour title and make the fourth round at a major.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"8\"\/>While her achievements are path-breaking her popularity is something else entirely.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"10\"\/>Having reached the second round on her US Open main-draw debut last year, Eala showed how much she has grown, both in temperament and tennis, striking 19 winners while refusing to dance to Oliynykova\u2019s tune, no matter how often the Ukrainian changed pace and spin.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"12\"\/>Thursday\u2019s result was sweet revenge for Eala, who had lost to the 25-year-old four months ago on clay in Strasbourg.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"15\"\/>The Ukrainian, an orthodox player, pushed against the run of play and the weight of the crowd in the second set, but Eala stood firm to close out the win. In the stands, fans filmed the closing stages on their phones, turning themselves into broadcasters of sorts as they provided live commentary for an audience back home.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"17\"\/>In the third round on Saturday, she\u2019ll go up against good friend the No. 14 seed Iva Jovic.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"19\"\/>Eala\u2019s rapidly growing commercial portfolio includes global giants and leading Philippine brands, yet her real currency may be the crowds she commands. <!-- -->Almost everywhere she goes, Filipino fans turn up in force, reshaping the atmosphere around her matches and turning Eala into something tennis rarely produces, a star whose appeal transcends the sport itself.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"23\"\/>Her popularity has become impossible for tournaments to ignore. Some have been criticised for putting the world No. 18 on smaller courts, with too few seats for her fans, while even her practice sessions at Flushing Meadows have attracted fans willing to line up just to watch her. <!-- -->New York City is home to an estimated 94,000 Filipinos with more than half living in the Queens borough which is also home to the US Open.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"27\"\/>Eala then was back on the second-biggest court at Flushing Meadows for the second time in as many outings on Thursday, while Grand Slam champions like six-time major winner and former No.1 Iga Swiatek, American Madison Keys and reigning Roland Garros champion Mirra Andreeva played their second round matches on smaller courts.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"31\"\/>Eala shrugged. \u201cI don\u2019t control the scheduling,\u201d she said.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"33\"\/>She doesn\u2019t.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"35\"\/>Should a player\u2019s popularity influence their standing in the sport, or should that be determined by the silverware they have stacked up? It makes for a lively debate.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"37\"\/>Tennis is a highly individualistic sport, its biggest stars, read most successful, defining the eras they play in.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"39\"\/>But the rise of social media in an age of relentless self-expression has changed the equation. A player\u2019s reach, influence and celebrity can now rival their results, raising an intriguing question, is the individual more important than the sport?<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"41\"\/>Asked about her meeting with media personality Ornella Rose Hollela in New York last week, Eala called the interaction \u201csuper crazy\u201d, saying it all happened too fast.<span class=\"id-r-component br\" data-pos=\"43\"\/>\u201cIt&#8217;s weird that some people that I watch a lot, they know me,\u201d Eala said before adding, \u201cSometimes I forget that I&#8217;m also kind of famous.\u201d<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/sports\/tennis\/top-stories\/sometimes-i-forget-that-im-also-kind-of-famous-alex-eala-is-rewriting-tennis-stardom-at-us-open-2026\/articleshow\/133764689.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alexandra Eala (AP Photo) NEW YORK CITY: No sooner had Alexandra Eala closed out her second-round match on Louis Armstrong Stadium than a rush of activity erupted on the rear deck of the packed arena. Feet shuffled, voices rose and squeals rang out as young fans, most of them little girls in tennis attire clutching [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20268,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20267","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-31"],"magazineBlocksPostFeaturedMedia":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","medium_large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","1536x1536":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","2048x2048":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","blogsy-small":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","blogsy-small-tall":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","blogsy-small-square":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","blogsy-small-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","blogsy-medium":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","blogsy-medium-masonry":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","blogsy-large":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg","blogsy-wide":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg"},"magazineBlocksPostAuthor":{"name":"admin","avatar":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g"},"magazineBlocksPostCommentsNumber":"0","magazineBlocksPostExcerpt":"Alexandra Eala (AP Photo) NEW YORK CITY: No sooner had Alexandra Eala closed out her second-round match on Louis Armstrong Stadium than a rush of activity erupted on the rear deck of the packed arena. Feet shuffled, voices rose and squeals rang out as young fans, most of them little girls in tennis attire clutching [&hellip;]","magazineBlocksPostCategories":["\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36"],"magazineBlocksPostViewCount":1,"magazineBlocksPostReadTime":4,"magazine_blocks_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg",400,225,false],"medium":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg",300,169,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1788529534_us-open-tennis.jpg",150,84,false]},"magazine_blocks_author":{"display_name":"admin","author_link":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/author\/admin"},"magazine_blocks_comment":0,"magazine_blocks_author_image":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8709732a479614e7a8aa24d3eb1b239f30dc6d90c61464ed495001e7a469d856?s=96&d=mm&r=g","magazine_blocks_category":"<a href=\"#\" class=\"category-link category-link-31\">\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36 \u0b2c\u0b3f\u0b26\u0b47\u0b36<\/a>","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20267","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20267"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20267\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/20268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20267"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20267"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/koshalsambada.in\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20267"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}