Alex Eala has heard the cheers at Louis Armstrong Stadium. The criticism about why she keeps getting to hear them there reached her on Thursday, too.
After advancing to the third round of the US Open with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Oleksandra Oliynykova, Eala was asked about a debate that had been simmering online: Why had the No. 17 seed been assigned to Louis Armstrong Stadium for each of her first two matches while players with higher rankings and Grand Slam titles were playing on smaller courts?
Eala initially appeared unaware there was a controversy.
“Sorry, could you enlighten me on the issue?” she asked.
When a reporter explained that some fans believed the USTA was giving her preferential treatment, Eala did not take the bait.
“I’m grateful to be on Armstrong and to play in such an incredible court,” Eala said. “But, yeah, I don’t control the scheduling, and my job is to be prepared for whatever court they put me in and whoever I’m against.”
That is essentially where Eala’s involvement in the decision begins and ends.
“They’re saying Grand Slam Champions are playing outside… they’re implying sort of that the U.S. Open is giving you a special treatment…”
Alex: “I’m grateful to be
Fans Question Alex Eala’s Louis Armstrong Assignments
The debate intensified when Thursday’s order of play placed Eala-Oliynykova on Louis Armstrong while six-time Grand Slam champion and former US Open winner Iga Swiatek faced Nadia Podoroska on Grandstand.
Amanda Anisimova, the No. 10 seed and 2025 US Open runner-up, also played Lilli Tagger on Grandstand. Former Australian Open champion Madison Keys, seeded No. 22, was sent to Court 17, where she survived five match points against Anna Bondar.
That disparity produced plenty of anger online.
“Iga is literally a US Open champion. The disrespect!!!” one fan wrote, arguing that established champions such as Swiatek deserved the show courts ahead of Eala.
Another called the scheduling “embarrassing” and disrespectful toward higher-ranked players.
Others pushed back, pointing toward the most basic reality behind tournament scheduling: demand.
“She sells more tickets,” one fan wrote. Another argued that Eala “brings money to the sport which benefits them all.” A third directed the criticism away from Eala entirely: “Blame the organizers for this, not Alex.”
The schedule was not uniformly tilted against decorated players, either. Four-time major champion Naomi Osaka played on Arthur Ashe Stadium on Thursday, as did Coco Gauff in the night session, while No. 2 seed and reigning Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina received a Louis Armstrong assignment.
US Open Had Business Reason for Putting Eala on Armstrong
The USTA has not been subtle about why Eala received a major stadium.
Tournament director Eric Butorac said before her opener that officials knew Eala’s first match “had to be on a major stadium” because of the extraordinary demand surrounding her.
That demand has been visible throughout Flushing Meadows.
Crowds packed Eala’s practice sessions before the tournament, including workouts with Karolina Pliskova and Naomi Osaka. Her growing Filipino following has become one of the tournament’s most conspicuous fan bases, particularly in Queens, home to a sizable Filipino community.
Even Osaka noticed.
“She brings such an amazing crowd, like, even for practice,” Osaka said before the tournament.
The criticism also overlooks that Eala is no longer a low-ranked wild card being handed prime real estate. She entered the tournament ranked No. 18 in the world and seeded 17th after winning Washington and reaching the second week at Wimbledon.
And so far, she has justified the attention on the court.
Eala needed only 64 minutes Thursday to dismiss Oliynykova, avenging a three-set loss in Strasbourg earlier this year. She struck 19 winners against 17 unforced errors, won 11 of 14 points at the net and broke serve five times to reach the US Open third round for the first time.
Her first two matches in Armstrong have lasted only 141 combined minutes and cost her seven games.
Whether she deserves the court assignment is a debate for fans and tournament organizers.
Eala’s position is much simpler.
Give her a court. Give her an opponent.
She’ll play.
Alex Eala Addresses ‘Special Treatment’ Criticism Over US Open Court Assignments