Filipina tennis star Alex Eala set for US Open debut

Dubai: After a summer interrupted by injury, Alex Eala is back where her tennis dreams began — set to make her US Open main-draw debut, 10 years after winning the junior title. The 20-year-old Filipina, who slipped two places to world No 70, will play in the women’s singles at Flushing Meadows from August 24 to September 7, marking a key milestone in her growing professional career.

Her journey to New York, however, has been far from smooth. Eala suffered a left shoulder injury at the National Bank Open in Montreal, where she started strong by taking the first set against former Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3, before the injury disrupted her rhythm in the third set, resulting in a 6-3, 1-6, 2-6 loss. The setback forced her to withdraw from subsequent tournaments, including the Cincinnati Open and Monterrey Open.

Despite the summer’s interruptions, Eala has returned to full training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain, where she has developed her game since her junior days. Less than two weeks after her injury, she was back on court, working on her forehands and overall match fitness.

As she prepares for her first US Open main-draw match, all eyes will be on the 20-year-old left-hander to see if she can turn her junior promise and WTA breakthroughs into a strong showing at one of tennis’ most prestigious stages as she targets maiden win in a Grand Slam.

From playing on the pitch to analysing it from the press box, Satish has spent over three decades living and breathing sport. A cricketer-turned-journalist, he has covered three Cricket World Cups, the 2025 Champions Trophy, countless IPL seasons, F1 races, horse racing classics, and tennis in Dubai. Cricket is his home ground, but he sees himself as an all-rounder - breaking stories, building pages, going live on podcasts, and interviewing legends across every corner of the sporting world. Satish started on the back pages, and earned his way to the front, now leading the sports team at Gulf News, where he has spent 25 years navigating the fast-evolving game of journalism. Whether it’s a Super-Over thriller or a behind-the-scenes story, he aims to bring insight, energy, and a fan’s heart to every piece. Because like sport, journalism is about showing up, learning every day, and giving it everything.

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