Alex Eala opened her US Open run with a composed first-round win over American Mary Stoiana on Tuesday, moving through in straight sets and showing little sign of tension on one of the biggest stages in the sport.

Seeded 17th, the 21-year-old entered the tournament with significant attention on her, yet delivered a polished 6-1, 6-2 result at Louis Armstrong Stadium. Stoiana, 23 and ranked a career-high No. 113, could not match the Filipina’s level, even with a lively crowd behind the home player.

Eala’s serve has been a frequent talking point during her rise in recent months, but she handled it well under the lights. She won 28 of her 44 first serves in the night session, a solid return in a match that allowed her to settle quickly into the tournament.

Her next challenge comes in round two against Ukrainian Oleksandra Oliynykova. The pair met in Strasbourg in May, when Eala fell in a tight three-set match, and she will now try to reverse that result.

After the victory, Eala spoke about the level she produced, the atmosphere inside the main stadium, and the shift in expectations that has come with her recent improvement. She also addressed the nerves that can accompany a first-round Slam match and the importance of staying focused amid a loud and energetic setting.

On her serving performance, Eala said: “I think I served pretty well.” She added that the serve remains “a constant effort and constant work and trying to improve.”

Looking ahead to the tournament, she said her aim is to keep producing matches at the level she believes she can sustain, while continuing the same aggressive approach that helped her open the event so strongly. The fans, meanwhile, continue to make an impression. As she put it, “They do still surprise me. Yes, they do. The fans are very creative and I love to see it. I thought it was super cute. They just make my day.”

Coco Gauff says she is finally approaching her serve with real belief, even while the 2026 numbers place her at the top of an unwanted leaderboard.

The two-time Grand Slam champion, who has lifted titles at the US Open and French Open over the past three years, endured major problems with her delivery and reached a low point on the shot around this time last year. At that stage, she was in tears on court as she battled to find control, prompting the arrival of biomechanics coach Gavin MacMillan to address the long-running issue.

The latest WTA Tour figures underline just how severe the problem has been this season. Gauff has produced 308 double faults in matches in 2026, the highest total on tour by a clear margin. American Alycia Parks is next on the list with 222, while Jelena Ostapenko also had 222 heading into the US Open. Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova is among the others inside the top ten, with 213.

Yet Gauff’s tone now is far more assured than it was a year ago. The 2023 US Open champion said the mental side of the serve has changed significantly.

“Last year I knew all eyes were going to be on the serve,” she reflected. “Gavin is so great at what he does, so I felt a lot of pressure — even pressure I put on myself to prove he’s great at what he does.

“It didn’t really show within the first two weeks, which is normal. But psychologically, I’m now serving and it’s ‘Oh, I’m going for the ace,’ or ‘I know I can hit the serve, and the return is probably not going to come back,’ versus last year I literally was like ‘I hope I make it in’.

“It feels good to come into a tournament feeling confident on that shot finally,” Gauff said. “I still want to improve my serve, but I always knew I was capable of having a good one because I can hit overheads well and I can get up there high on the serve speed.

“It was about making it consistent. Once I got confident in the consistency, then I was able to pull the trigger a lot more often.

“Now that I’m returning well and serving well, it just feels good. You feel a lot more at ease when the shot is going in. I didn’t even need it to be great. I just needed it to go in — now it’s getting good and it’s going in.”

Alex Eala has become one of the most watched names in women’s tennis over the past few months, and she arrived at the US Open with growing status behind her. The Filipina has risen quickly over the last 18 months, climbing the rankings and building a large following along the way.

That surge has carried into the tournament itself. Posts about Eala have generated strong engagement on social media, while her appearances on the official US Open YouTube and Instagram accounts have been the most viewed of the event so far.

With attention comes expectation, and Eala now faces the challenge of handling that spotlight. In New York, she has added a notable source of experience to her team in Toni Nadal, whose background with Rafael Nadal gives him a deep understanding of the demands at the top level. He has been part of Eala’s development through her training at the Nadal Academy in Mallorca.

Even with that high-profile presence, Joan Bosch remains her main coach. Bosch has worked with Eala at the Mallorca Academy and brings significant experience of his own, having also coached former world number one and Grand Slam champion Carlos Moya.

Eala described the relationship clearly when she said, “Joan, who’s here with me, is my confidant,” said Eala. “I trust him a lot, as well as my team who’s back home.”

Bosch is familiar with Toni Nadal’s role at the academy and the perspective he can offer from years around elite tennis. Former US Open finalist Greg Rusedski also pointed to the value Toni Nadal could bring, stressing his direct manner and long record of success.

As Eala continues to attract attention, the structure around her in New York suggests a player trying to balance rapid rise with steady guidance.