Alcaraz and Eala leave the US Open with their reputations enhanced

Carlos Alcaraz and Alexandra Eala will not be part of finals weekend at this year’s US Open, yet both players still shaped the tournament in meaningful ways during the final Grand Slam of 2026.

Alcaraz arrived in New York with considerable attention on his comeback from a long absence caused by a wrist injury. Some questioned whether it was sensible for the defending champion to return in a best-of-five-set event that would fully test that wrist, especially without a warm-up tournament. Instead, he responded with a run that answered plenty of doubts. After his mixed doubles appearance with Serena Williams had already created major interest before the main draw, he worked his way through the first three rounds strongly, then raised his level again to dominate Tommy Paul in round four.

His tournament ended in a dramatic late-night battle with Ben Shelton, a match that finished at 3.35am in New York. Even so, the result did little to diminish what was, by any fair reading, a successful event for the seven-time Grand Slam champion. Alcaraz admitted he had not expected to perform as well as he did across five matches, and his level suggested that his return was handled better than many anticipated. He now has time to evaluate his form before upcoming events, including next month’s Laver Cup and the Six Kings Slam exhibition event in Saudi Arabia.

Eala, meanwhile, made her own breakthrough. Her WTA 500 title in Washington at the start of August lifted her profile further, and her social media impact was impossible to miss throughout the North American hard court season. At the US Open, each post about her from the official accounts drew major engagement, reflecting the scale of interest she generated. Her run ended in the third round after an absorbing contest with Iva Jovic, but she still emerged as one of the tournament’s standout names.

Alcaraz and Eala left New York with their star power intact and, in both cases, much stronger than when the event began.