On Thursday, rising Filipino tennis star Alex Eala advanced to the third round of the 2026 US Open.
Eala defeated Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 at the Louis Armstrong Stadium inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens, New York.
It will be Eala’s first time making it to the third round of the US Open. She fell to Cristina Bucsa in the second round last year.
Alex Eala’s 2-Word Message
A few hours after winning against Oleksandra Oliynykova, Alex Eala shared an Instagram post.
It was a carousel of photos from over the past week during her time in New York City. She also dropped a two-word message in the caption.
“Ms. Worldwide,” Eala wrote.
Some of the images feature New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson, her parents Mike and Rizza Eala, her brother Miko Eala, friends and fellow tennis stars Eva Lys and Victoria Martinez, and rapper Pitbull, who calls himself Mr. Worldwide.
Here are some of the comments on the post:
@zeyneppsonmez: “Stunning💙💙💙💙”
@joyfull_catholic: “Love this”
@katiecboulter: “Go girl 🎧”
@jul_c_jul: “Let’s gooooo LEFTY!”
@tishburt: “NYC looks so good on you sis!”
@admirelouisville: “💯 Proud of YOU! 👏🏽”
@itsaaroncampos: “Creating a storm!!”
@xtr3m3photography: “Conquering the World 🌎 Good Luck (3rd Rd) !!!”
Eala’s Post-Match Comments
For the second straight game, Alex Eala played at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, which caused some stir on social media.
However, the decision to put her inside the 23,771-seater venue has paid off, with fans packing the stadium for the second consecutive Eala match.
Speaking on her post-match interview, Eala sent a message to all the Filipinos who continued to support her in New York. She also delivered a message to Oleksandra Oliynykova and her fans inside Louis Armstrong Stadium.
“Everybody represents something in their own way,” Eala said, via Olympics.com. “I’m Filipino, and I proudly represent that, and a lot of the crowd here today is Filipino, and I’m sure they share in that sentiment.
“Like Americans or like Ukrainians, like Oleksandra, who played so, so amazingly today. So I think we all represent something.”
Who Will Eala Face in Third Round of US Open?
Alex Eala is back in action on Saturday for the third round of the 2026 US Open. She will face either Iva Jovic or Francesca Jones.
Eala wished both of her close friends good luck ahead of their match.
“Who I play in the next round is definitely out of my control, but they’re both great friends of mine, both such amazing people and players,” Eala said. “So all I can do is wish them a great match and hope they have fun, and I’m sure they will both give it their all like everyone here.”
The 21-year-old tennis ace is 0-2 in her career against Jovic and 1-0 against Jones.
UPDATE: Alex Eala will face Iva Jovic in the third round.
Alex Eala Posts 2-Word Message After US Open Round 2 Win