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.

Rafael Jodar was put on the spot after his unexpected first-round exit at the 2026 US Open, where he was overwhelmed by lucky loser Bu Yunchaokete.

The No. 12 seed was beaten 6-2, 6-1, 6-1 on Wednesday by the 124th-ranked Chinese player in a result that turned heads across the tennis world. The match had originally been scheduled for Tuesday before rain pushed it back a day. Jodar had also been preparing to play Thanasi Kokkinakis, who withdrew because of injury.

Instead, the Spaniard found himself unable to establish any rhythm. He was broken seven times and did not earn a single break point against his 24-year-old opponent’s serve. The 19-year-old had entered the tournament viewed by many as a dark horse, thanks to the strong run of form he had built since the clay-court season began.

In his press conference, Jodar was direct in his assessment of the loss.

Q. Could you explain how you’re feeling on goal and why you weren’t able to bring your best today?

JODAR: He played better than me. And that’s the reason why he won today. Physically good. Yeah, that’s it. That’s how the match went. He played better than me. So he deserved to win today.

Asked whether he felt worse than usual on court, Jodar said the match simply did not go his way and added that he would need time to reflect on the tournament.

JODAR: Well, that’s secondary. I mean, I tried to give my best today. It wasn’t meant to be today. So, yeah. I had a good season overall. So, yeah, it’s going to be, yeah, some time to recover and to think about this tournament and what I can learn from that.

He also pointed to the rain delay as a factor both players had to manage, but declined to use it as an excuse. Later, when asked about the surprise of the result and his physical condition across a long season, Jodar insisted he was not getting tired and said he would review the match with his team before deciding on the rest of his schedule.

Aryna Sabalenka was drawn into a sharp exchange with a journalist after her second-round US Open victory, following a question that appeared to link her tournament preparation with partying.

The world No 1 arrived in New York under some scrutiny. Several pundits had backed her to struggle to defend her title after a recent dip in form, including early defeats at both the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open. Instead, she has made a strong start to her campaign, backing up a two-set win over Camila Osorio with a one-sided 6-1, 6-1 dismissal of qualifier Polina Iatcenko on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The flashpoint came in the post-match press conference, when Sabalenka took issue with a question about her mood and the run-up to the event. She believed the line of questioning suggested she had been partying too much and was not properly focused on tennis.

The exchange quickly grew tense.

Journalist: “I’m sort of curious. How are you finding like your mood once… now that the tournament has started? Obviously last week it’s lots of parties and fun and stuff like that.”

Sabalenka: “Are you guys like a joke? Party [partying] is fun. Like, why would you even say that? Why would you even think about that? Like what kind of question is that? Like just because I posted like some activities with brands and you think that I’ve been fighting, not training.”

Journalist: “I’m not suggesting that you’re partying. … I’m saying that there are a lot of events and things like that. I’m not saying you go to the parties and that you’re…

Sabalenka: “You literally said that … Next question.”

Jouanlist: “For everyone, for everyone who’s not clear, Aryna I’m not suggesting that Aryna is having fun at these parties. I’m saying that she makes a lot of appearances and there’s a lot to do and lots of events. Okay.”

Sabalenka: “Move on.”

Journalist: “So, now that the tournament started, do you find you’re getting quite serious and combative?”

Sabalenka: “Oh, yeah. I wasn’t serious before that. Next question.”

As another journalist began asking a separate question, Sabalenka added one final remark: “Think before you say stuff, I yeah, sorry. No, not you.”

Sabalenka now moves on to face Kamilla Rakhimova in the third round. She also remains under ranking pressure, with the No 1 spot set to pass to Elena Rybakina if the Kazakh player reaches the semi-final.