The surge that began for Alex Eala at the Miami Open in March 2025 has shown little sign of easing. Her run to the semi-finals of that WTA 1000 event introduced a wider audience to her talent, and her first WTA Tour final at the Eastbourne Open the following June only strengthened the sense that something significant was building.

Even during stretches when results did not come as quickly as expected, Eala continued to draw an unusually loyal global following. In the Philippines, that support has been especially intense, helping push her toward the top of tennis popularity charts and giving her profile a reach that has extended well beyond her ranking position.

Her progress has accelerated in 2026. Eala’s victory over defending champion Iga Swiatek on a memorable middle Saturday at Wimbledon stood out as another defining moment, and it has left her on the brink of an even larger jump. With limited ranking points to defend over the next few weeks, she has a realistic chance to enter the top 20 of the WTA Rankings for the first time.

The final major of the season now offers the next major test. If Eala can make a serious impact at the US Open, especially across the later rounds, her status could move from promising contender to a far more established place in the conversation.

Her own comments after losing to Jasmine Paolini at Wimbledon reflected both realism and confidence. “There are so many positives,” she said. “One is how I’ve handled pressure. I mean, there’s pressure every week, right? Of course, the more you want to win, I think the more kind of like pressure goes along with that.

“I’m happy with how I faced it head on. I think I kept cool when I needed to control my emotions. Overall, performed the best that I could on the day.

“I think this week in general will add to my confidence. I mean, it’s been one of my best results, right? Of course, it will add confidence.

“I think it’s important that every match I played this week, and every match that I play, I go in with the self-esteem and the thought that I’m able to win. I don’t think that necessarily because of one week or the other that that will change.

“I did have to manage the emotions. I think that’s also the beauty of kind of like letting all the emotions out after, when you feel them, is that you’re able to have that moment. It’s also part of professionalism.

“I think I prepared pretty well for this match. There are so many different factors to today that contributed to the result of why it happened. I think on that aspect, I did pretty well.”

The momentum is real, and so is the expectation that her rise may soon become even more pronounced.

The US Open mixed doubles event has quickly turned into one of the sport’s more closely watched storylines since it was introduced in 2025, with several marquee pairings drawing attention.

Last year featured combinations such as Emma Raducanu and Carlos Alcaraz, and this season’s field again includes some of the biggest names in tennis. Novak Djokovic and Aryna Sabalenka stand out as the leading attraction, while Alexander Zverev has paired with Taylor Townsend and Iga Swiatek is set to team with Casper Ruud.

For Alex de Minaur and Katie Boulter, though, the question remains unresolved. The couple were denied a wildcard for last year’s competition, leaving them unable to take part. At the Washington Open, de Minaur was asked whether they would be involved this time, only weeks after the pair were married.

“Yeah, we’ve entered. We’ve entered, I don’t think we’ll we’ll get in on our rankings, on our combined rankings,” said the Australian in Washington.

De Minaur then made clear that their hopes are tied to a wildcard once again.

“So we’ll probably have to rely on a wild card,” he added. “So, we’re hoping that maybe this year we get a run and we can play as a married couple.”

Boulter is currently world No 71, which explains why direct acceptance appears unlikely. A wildcard would therefore be the most realistic route, especially after their wedding, even if other notable names are also still waiting to confirm their plans.

Carlos Alcaraz and Serena Williams, who have been rumoured to play together, are not on the initial entry list, and world No 1 Jannik Sinner is absent as well. Venus Williams has also not confirmed her participation, despite playing doubles several times this year with Alex Eala, Boulter and Diana Shnaider. It would still be a surprise if she does not appear.

Venus Williams is also reportedly preparing to end her career at the US Open, where she has won four titles across singles and doubles. That would bring a 22-year career to a close.

Last year’s wildcards went to Olga Danilović and Novak Djokovic, Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori, Caty McNally and Lorenzo Musetti, Naomi Osaka and Gaël Monfils, Raducanu and Alcaraz, Townsend and Ben Shelton, and Venus Williams and Reilly Opelka.

Alex Eala’s strong run continued in Washington as she fought back from a difficult position to defeat 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez and advance to the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 event.

The 21-year-old recovered from 5-1 down in the second set before closing out a 6-2, 7-6(4) victory, a result that drew a loud response from her supporters in the US capital. It was another notable step in a fast-building stretch of form for the Philippines star, whose recent grass-court season included a title at the Birmingham Open and a run to the last-16 at Wimbledon.

One of the defining moments of that Wimbledon campaign came when she beat defending champion Iga Swiatek, a victory that carried her into the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. She has since carried that confidence into Washington, where an opening-round win over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen was followed by this hard-earned success against Fernandez.

Against Fernandez, Eala relied on the pace and heaviness of her shots, along with clear resilience, to turn the match around after her opponent had looked in control of the second set. She also had to manage windy conditions, while the strong backing from the stands remained a constant factor throughout the contest.

“Leylah put me in some difficult positions, but I’m really happy about how I fought and hung in there,” declared Eala.

“When you know you levels drop and you want to do better, patience is key to work it out. A strong mentality in trying to find solutions.”

Eala also praised her coach Joan Bosch after the match, and the noise from the Filipino fans prompted a big reaction when it was mentioned during her on-court interview.

The win lifts her further in the WTA Rankings, where she is now up to No 28 in the live standings. If she wins three more matches this week and takes the title, she will confirm a breakthrough into the top 20.