Alex Eala is on the cusp of the strongest US Open run of her young career as she prepares for her second-round match at Flushing Meadows.

The Filipino player already made a mark at last year’s event, when she went through to the second round after earning her first win at a major by defeating Clara Tauson in the opening round. Now she has the chance to move beyond that achievement when she faces Oleksandra Oliynykova in New York on Thursday, 3rd September.

Eala has again drawn significant attention at the tournament. Her first-round match on Louis Armstrong Arena attracted a full crowd, underlining the support she continues to receive.

Jim Courier, speaking on The Tennis Channel, said he hoped she could advance again and potentially set up a notable next-round contest.

“It’s incredible. When your life changes like this, and granted, she hasn’t won a big title yet, it will get even more exponentially, from a popularity standpoint, bigger for her should she do that, and she might someday, but even without that, she is transforming the culture of tennis, certainly, in her country, and bringing more fans under the tent,” said Courier.

“And I’ve got to tell you, if I’m the USTA, I would be so pumped if Eala makes the third round to play Iva Jovic, the young American who is equally impressive when you hear her speak. That would be a real showcase for not just the future of women’s tennis, but I think just the young present.”

A possible third-round meeting with Jovic would carry added history. The two have already met twice this season, and both times the American came out on top.

Jovic first defeated Eala in the opening round of Roland Garros, winning 6-4, 6-2. She later beat her again at Queen’s, this time 6-3, 6-2 in the round of 16.

Their partnership in doubles has also added another layer to the story in 2026. The pair reached the semi finals of the ASB Classic in Auckland at the start of the year, where they lost to Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan. They also played together at Indian Wells, but were beaten in the first round by Hailey Baptiste and Jelena Ostapenko.

For that third-round possibility to become reality, Eala must first overcome Oliynykova, while Jovic would need to get past Britain’s Fran Jones.

Jessica Pegula kept her US Open run moving with a straight-sets victory over Sofia Kenin in the second round.

The American has now lost only nine games across her first two matches in New York this year, reinforcing her status as one of the leading contenders for the title. Pegula has already reached the US Open final, doing so in 2024, but she is still searching for a first Grand Slam trophy despite her strong results over the last two seasons.

Her form on court has been impressive, but the world No 3 has also been paying close attention to what is happening around the tournament. In her post-match press conference, Pegula expressed clear frustration about the number of gambling sponsorships tied to the 2026 US Open.

“It’s been a discussion that’s been going on for a while now. Players can’t do anything related to betting sponsorships, while tournaments profit from a large part of this business,” said the world No 3.

“I don’t know, it’s a complicated issue. Because we get so much negativity from people who gamble. And sometimes it doesn’t even matter if you win or lose, right? It doesn’t change anything,” she continued.

“We get a lot of hate on social media for this, so it’s difficult when you then see those same companies become big sponsors of the tournament, perhaps advertising on the sidelines or on television. It’s complicated.

“I really don’t know the best way to approach the situation, especially since it’s somewhat inevitable. Betting is everywhere, and I don’t think it’s going away anytime soon, especially when I look at other sports. It’s become an important part of keeping the public engaged.

“I don’t know, I have mixed feelings. I don’t know if it’s just something unpleasant or if it’s the world we live in today. I try my best not to deal with the negative side of things, with the bettors, the comments, and everything that happens on social media, and I just try to stay away from it.

“But it’s an interesting time, because we’re starting to see betting increasingly enter the tennis world, especially now. I don’t know, I’m not sure it’s a good thing.”

The issue has been a recurring one for players across the WTA Tour, many of whom have spoken about abuse from online gamblers in recent seasons. Katie Boulter also described similar experiences during the 2025 season, saying, “A lot of comments are very emotional responses,” and, “I’m past the point of worrying what people actually say to me, it’s more about somehow finding a way to stop that from happening. My goal was to raise awareness. There’s a lot of it. It’s pretty hard to contain it.”

The US Open has partnered with prediction market platform, Kalshi, for the 2026 event.

Former world No. 4 Greg Rusedski has offered his view on Alex Eala’s path at the 2026 US Open, with the Filipina already through one round and drawing plenty of attention.

Eala opened her campaign with a composed 6-1, 6-2 victory over world No. 122 Mary Stoiana on Tuesday. The No. 17 seed now turns to world No. 46 Oleksandra Oliynykova in the second round, with that match set for Louis Armstrong Stadium on Thursday.

If Eala advances, the draw could become significantly more demanding. A third-round meeting with 14th seed Iva Jovic is possible, and fourth seed Coco Gauff stands as a potential opponent in the last 16.

On his Off Court With Greg Rusedski podcast, the 1997 US Open finalist focused on the prospect of an Eala-Jovic clash in round three. “That’s going to be a night session match if it happens — no question about it. It’s going to be on the Arthur Ashe stadium.

“And it’ll be interesting to see where the crowd goes on that one, because Eala mania continues. She deserves it. She’s been absolutely brilliant.”

Rusedski also said he expects Eala to handle the next hurdle with ease. “I expect her to cruise comfortably in the match coming up today [against Oliynykova],” he said.

“I think she’s just got too much game. I think she cuts through three and three (6-3, 6-3), and continues the roll.

“And we’ll probably get that Jovic-Eala match in the third round — which will be a real test for her — but I think she comes through that, and we get the fourth round we’ve all been talking about: Coco Gauff versus Eala… Arthur Ashe stadium, night session.

“But we don’t get ahead of ourselves too soon, but I think she does get through today pretty comfortably.”

He also praised her rise and popularity, noting her ranking, seeded status at a major, and growing appeal across the sport.