Alex Eala left her postmatch press conference struggling to hold back tears after a 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 loss to Iva Jovic at the US Open, but the significance of what comes next may help turn that pain into something far greater over time.

For weeks, Eala has drawn attention far beyond the usual surge around a young player. Her name has carried weight across tennis websites, podcasts, YouTube and news channels, with her following proving how deeply she resonates with fans around the world. Yet her rise has also made one thing clear over the past few months: this is not just a story built on online buzz.

What Eala and Jovic showed in their third-round meeting on Saturday night was that women’s tennis can match the men’s game for tension, quality and drama. The match featured two young players competing with courage, skill and conviction, and the result was a contest that stretched for three hours and three minutes.

It was, by any reasonable measure, the standout match of the women’s year so far, and there is a case for saying it was more gripping than any men’s match played in 2026.

Jovic, only 18, looks like a future Grand Slam champion. Eala appears to be on the same path. Together, they offered a reminder that the women’s tour has found two emerging names capable of becoming central figures now, not only later.

After the defeat, Eala spoke with composure and honesty, saying she has ‘yet to process’ what her US Open campaign has taught her. She also became emotional when reflecting on what it means to represent her country on the biggest stage.

“It’s indescribable to sum up that support and how it makes me feel in a few words,” she said. “It’s a real privilege to experience this.”

She added: “Playing on Arthur Ashe and feeling the support and learning these lessons, I’m really lucky to have this opportunity. To be able to live this life the way I am doing.”

If Eala continues to develop at the pace she has shown in recent weeks, more chances at the US Open should follow. Add a little more weight to her serve and refine the few rough edges still in her game, and she will give herself every opportunity to go all the way on Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Greg Rusedski has urged US Open organisers to take action after several players raised concerns about the smell of weed at Flushing Meadows.

The issue surfaced when Aryna Sabalenka was forced to pause her third-round match against Kamila Rakhimova because of the cannabis smell inside Louis Armstrong Stadium. The No 1 seed told the umpire that someone was “smoking weed” and later described the situation as very “tricky” when trying to compete.

Adrian Mannarino also criticised the atmosphere, saying the US Open was becoming a “bit of a zoo” because of the marijuana smell and crowds that were not following normal tennis etiquette. Katie Boulter said the same kind of aromas were off-putting as well.

Even though recreational weed use is legal in New York, Rusedski believes it should not be part of the tournament environment. Speaking on Off Court, the former US Open finalist said, “In New York, it’s legal to smoke weed. You can have it in your possession. From my perspective, I don’t like it at a sporting event. I don’t think it puts a good image for the city.

“What does that say to kids, if you’ve got that smell and stench around? I think the US Open should be a no smoking zone, whether it’s cigarettes, whether it’s weed.

“This is an athletic competition. I don’t understand how the USTA (United States Tennis Association) can’t get together with the mayor of New York (Zohran Mamdani) and say, ‘Look, guys, we don’t want this at our venue and we don’t want this for the image of tennis’.

“I’m not sure if you’re allowed to do that at the American football games and baseball and all those other sporting events, maybe you are, but I just don’t think that sits together with sport and I can understand the player’s point of view.

“I don’t like the smell of it. I don’t like it around that environment and I think they’ve got to do something about it. I agree with Boulter. I agree with Sabalenka. It has no right, I believe, to be at the US Open, to be at majors, to be at tennis tournaments.

“It’s the wrong image. It’s the wrong message. Yes, society’s opened up in that respect. Maybe I’m old fashioned, but that’s just my view.”

Rusedski added that USTA CEO Craig Tiley will likely listen to the players and look for solutions. He also said the tournament’s image matters beyond tennis, with financial consequences if the event is seen in the wrong light.

He added, “He [Tiley] will take all these things in from the players. He will find solutions. He did a great job with the Australian Open. Because this is a global image and if we’re talking about it, other people around the world are talking about it. This is a premier event that makes hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars.

“Not only for the tennis tournament, the USTA, but also for the city of New York with hotels and everything that’s encompassed is probably maybe a billion to $2billion revenue for the city and the tournament. So they want to get this right and they want to get the right image. So I think next year, I don’t think we’ll be talking about these things.”

[The 2026 US Open is dealing with a growing credibility problem in the middle of the tournament, and world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka has become the latest leading player to raise her voice on an issue that appears difficult to fix.

During her third-round match against Kamila Rakhimova, Sabalenka paused play in Louis Armstrong Stadium to complain to the umpire about the smell of weed. Her decision to stop the match underscored a concern that British No 1 Katie Boulter had already mentioned earlier in the event.

“Someone is smoking weed,” Sabalenka told the umpire. “Would you mind to (tell them to deal with it) because it’s so strong?”

She returned to the subject after the match and made her position clear in the press conference.

“Guys, you can relax any way you want and you can smoke anything you want, but please don’t do it around the tennis court.

“It’s a bit tricky to handle that smell while you are trying to perform at your best. There is nothing else to say about weed. I’m just asking people not to smoke it around the tennis court.”

The issue has now been acknowledged by several players, leaving USTA officials with a problem that is proving awkward to solve. Yet another storyline, of their own making, has also begun to dominate the conversation.

Tournament organisers have brought in influencers to help promote the event, and their presence has quickly become one of the biggest talking points. Matches have been interrupted while social media creators film videos and promote products during points, with Naomi Osaka left unimpressed.

Coco Gauff took a more measured view, but she was still firm that tennis etiquette must be respected.

“I think it’s great to have a different demographic to the sport, and I think I have no problem with influencers,” said Gauff.

“I have met some of them and follow some of them online. Luckily, the ones I do follow online do follow the etiquette and know tennis pretty well.

“I think it’s like any venue you come to, you have to follow the etiquette towards it. I think it may be on some of the brands, too, maybe to have, like, a sign plastered or something in the suites so that they know. Because, you know, sometimes it’s their first tennis match. They don’t know. They have probably been to basketball games before.

“But I definitely think no flash photography, because that does bother [us], and I am one of the more lenient players. There is very few times you hear me complain about noise. The flash (light)… definitely no flash in the points and try not to talk too loud.

“But like with anything, any venue you go to, like if you’re being invited to a red carpet, you wouldn’t show up in jeans. I think it’s just, follow the etiquette of the sport. That’s all.”

Unless the USTA changes course and stops giving these guests tickets in seats that are worth thousands of dollars, the debate is unlikely to fade. With Instagram and TikTok overflowing with images of influencers promoting themselves and their brands, the question remains whether tennis is actually gaining new fans. For now, the tournament’s news cycle is being shaped by problems that are damaging its image.