{"id":2117704,"date":"2026-08-29T07:50:50","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T04:50:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2117704"},"modified":"2026-08-29T07:50:50","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T04:50:50","slug":"alex-ealas-full-press-conference-ahead-of-2026-us-open-as-she-makes-growth-revelation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2117704","title":{"rendered":"Alex Eala&#8217;s full press conference ahead of 2026 US Open as she makes &#8216;growth&#8217; revelation"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"ps-article-content rounded-lg lg:mt-5 lg:border lg:border-card lg:bg-card lg:shadow-primary\">\n<header>\n<h1 class=\"py-4 text-xl font-normal text-title sm:text-2xl\">Alex Eala\u2019s full press conference ahead of 2026 US Open as she makes \u2018growth\u2019 revelation<\/h1>\n<div class=\"my-2 flex items-center justify-between\">\n<div class=\"flex items-center\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/author\/ewan-west\" class=\"text-sm font-normal !text-author\"><br \/>\n                            Ewan West                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <time class=\"ml-3 text-sm font-normal text-info md:ml-4\" datetime=\"29 Aug 2026 8:50 AM\" data-ps-date=\"29 Aug 2026 8:50 AM\" data-ps-datetime=\"1787989850\"><br \/>\n                            29 Aug 2026 8:50 AM                        <\/time>\n                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"hidden justify-end space-x-4 text-xl sm:flex sm:!opacity-100\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" 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space-x-5\">\n                        <a href=\"https:\/\/google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 hidden dark:block h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_dark.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"mx-auto !my-0 dark:hidden h-6\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/content\/themes\/tennis365-sportsui\/img\/png\/preferred_source_badge_light.png\" alt=\"Add as a preferred source on Google\" width=\"76\" height=\"24\"><br \/>\n                        <\/a><br \/>\n                        <button id=\"t365-article-share-btn-hidden\" class=\"mr-2 hidden h-6 w-6 appearance-none border-none !text-share-icon outline-none hover:!text-share-icon-active sm:hidden\" data-title=\"Alex Eala\u2019s full press conference ahead of 2026 US Open as she makes \u2018growth\u2019 revelation\"><\/p>\n<p>                        <\/button>\n                    <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5 border-b border-page\"><\/div>\n<section>\n<div class=\"-mx-3 sm:-mx-5\">\n<figure class=\"aspect-h-9 aspect-w-16 relative\">\n                                        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1320\" height=\"742\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"w-full h-full object-cover object-center !my-0\" src=\"https:\/\/d2me2qg8dfiw8u.cloudfront.net\/content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/Alex-Eala-smiling-1320x742.jpg\" alt=\"Alex Eala in Cincinnati\">                <\/figure><figcaption class=\"flex items-center space-x-3 border-b border-mobile-caption px-3 lg:border-caption\">\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"my-1.5 break-words !text-xs !text-content\">\n                                Alex Eala smiling                            <\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<div class=\"ciam-article-t365\"><!-- Article Start --><\/p>\n<p>Alex Eala said she has \u201cexperienced so much growth in the past year\u201d as she spoke to the media ahead of her 2026 US Open campaign.<\/p>\n<p>The world No 18, who is seeded 17th, will face 122nd-ranked American qualifier Mary Stoiana in the opening round at Flushing Meadows.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tag\/alex-eala\">Eala<\/a> is making her second US Open main draw appearance, having reached the second round on her debut at the 2025 edition of the New York Grand Slam.<\/p>\n<p>Here is everything Eala said in her pre-tournament press conference at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/us-open\">US Open<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> I remember your first match here last year where\u2026 so, going from that to what you\u2019re experiencing now, you were headlining the Stars of the Open and a big crowd, how have you experienced that journey from the US Open last year to now?<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> Well, I think I\u2019ve experienced so much growth in the past year and so many milestones in my career. I think there\u2019s so many lessons in particular in terms of, I\u2019ve gotten to work closely with so many, so many amazing tennis players. I\u2019ve gotten to experience more of their work ethic, obviously being in this environment a lot more. And I\u2019ve gotten to compete against the best of the best a lot more frequently, so yeah, I think I\u2019m lucky enough to have experienced so many matches such as that one in US Open last year, where the court was packed and the atmosphere was amazing against very formidable opponents. So super lucky.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> What do you remember from the match last year at the US Open against [Taylor] Townsend?<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> I remember that I was 5-1 down in the third and it was a very tough comeback for me. I know she was dominating me for a lot of the match. And yeah, it was, I think, definitely one of my most memorable matches of that year.<\/p>\n<h2>More US Open News<\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/never-seen-former-british-no-1-alex-eala-special\"><strong>\u2018Never seen anything like it\u2019 \u2013 Former British No 1 explains what makes Alex Eala special<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/alex-eala-usopen-youtube-numbers-roger-federer\"><strong>Incredible Alex Eala YouTube numbers confirm she is the most watched superstar in women\u2019s tennis<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Want more from Tennis365? Add us as <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=tennis365.com\" target=\"_blank\">a preferred source on Google to your favourites list<\/a> for tennis coverage you can trust.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> I think on your shoe, there is a custom commemoration of your title in DC. I\u2019m curious, what was your reaction when you saw that? And what emotion does it evoke to see your achievements on the shoe?<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> Yeah, I walked out yesterday in a gift from Nike that I received. It\u2019s a shoe to celebrate my first title in Washington, and it was so personalised and had all these super, super sick details. So, it\u2019s crazy because they also gave me a gift when I won the 2022 Juniors US Open. So, it\u2019s kind of a similar moment. And I really appreciate that from them because we have a great relationship ,and I love the team at Nike so much. So yeah, it\u2019s super sentimental.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> Was the 2022 Juniors US Open your first time to New York? And I\u2019m curious, what was your impression of the city on your first trip? And what has your adaptation to it been like?<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> That was not my first trip to New York. If I recall correctly, I played a eight and under tournament here in New York, I think in the old US Open site. And it was a little tournament. And I remember that was the very first time we kind of snuck into the grass courts and I hit my brother for 15 minutes on there. So, I\u2019ve come back after that in 2019 to play my first Junior\u2019s and then again 2022. So it\u2019s nice to revisit this place and experience it a little bit differently in different stages of my life. I definitely think New York is like what it\u2019s known for, the hustle and bustle. It\u2019s a very busy city, but I would love to have more time to explore the different boroughs. I think I\u2019m very\u2026 it\u2019s all midtown and the courts and midtown and the courts. So if I do have more time, I would love to experience more of it.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> Reflecting on your win in 2022 and the Juniors, when you come back to Flushing Meadows, what specific memories or feelings return when you step back onto the grounds?<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> I mean, it\u2019s just excitement. I\u2019m very excited. When I go in the locker room, I have the same locker, not as back then in 2022, but as the recent years. And to hit the practice courts and to see very familiar faces. It\u2019s nice.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> How aware you are of the impact you\u2019re having on tennis? I think everybody in the media is kind of aware that, put your name in the headlines for something and it\u2019ll get 10 times the hits. It\u2019s like it\u2019s a game changer for the sport in terms of an attention economy. And that\u2019s that\u2019s a lot on one person\u2019s shoulders. I just wondered how aware you are of that, how you experience that.<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> Well, I think at the forefront of everything is gratitude. I\u2019m very grateful for the support right, that my that my fans give me and that my supporters give me. But in terms of what I contribute to the tennis, every single WTA player and every single ATP player has contributed to the world of tennis and its history just by being here and by putting in the work every single day. So, although there are certain things like the media and the things that you mentioned that make me stand out, I think that I\u2019m a drop in the ocean when it comes to these things. And the more I\u2019m on tour, the more I learn about the history. Of course, this year, having had the pleasure to play doubles twice with Venus [Williams], I\u2019ve learned a lot about her mentality on court, but also things about how she championed equal prize money with her sister and things like that. And maybe the regular player on tour who\u2019s not so exposed to the media, what they\u2019ve had to work towards and what they\u2019ve had to work through to get to where they are now, is so inspiring in itself. So there are so many stories behind the scenes that you might not even realise. So that really keeps me humble. It keeps me motivated to work harder and be among and stay among these incredible people.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> It was announced that there\u2019s going to be a match, an exhibition match between you and Janice Tjen in the Philippine Arena, potentially break a record for the most fans in a match. It\u2019s like 55,000 can fit. When did you first hear about this concept? Why were you on board for it? And what do you expect in terms of playing in an arena that fits that many people?<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> Yeah, I\u2019ve never even been to the Philippine Arena. So I don\u2019t know what to expect except for great competition. And like I said, it\u2019s a way to celebrate culture, to celebrate tennis and for people to have fun. It\u2019s nice. I think it\u2019s going to be a really great experience for people to watch tennis live. A lot of my matches are\u2026 no, like 99% of my matches are overseas, so for me to be back home and playing in front of the people in the Philippines, it\u2019s going to be super special.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> Alex, you talked about wanting to explore the city. When you do have time in a foreign city to explore, what sorts of things do you like to do? Are you a museum person? Do you like to see a show?<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> I am definitely a restaurant person and a shopping person. So those are my two. Or maybe like cafes, bakeries. I love that. I am such a foodie. Maybe it\u2019s the Filipino in me. But yeah, I have even here in New York, like some spots that I go really every year. I have not tried the Filipino food here. I hear a lot of the spots are here in Queens and it\u2019s quite far from where I\u2019m staying. It\u2019s very difficult because I try to stick to kind of what\u2019s close by, what\u2019s easy, accessible.<br \/>\nBut like I said, if I had more time, I would love to. I think New York, it\u2019s like a mixing pot of, you can find everything here and of really good quality.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> Alex, do you think that you might have benefited from being the younger sibling of an older sibling who was an accomplished player? And have you ever thought about if those roles were switched, if maybe it would have helped him?<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> I definitely benefitted from being the younger sister. I have the best big brother in the world. He\u2019s so nice. And yeah, I will never be able to beat him in tennis, I think even if I\u2019m like number one in the world, I\u2019ll always have this sort of disadvantage. And I think if I were the older sister, I don\u2019t think I would be as nice as he is to me. He\u2019s definitely \u2014 I have to say \u2014 he\u2019s definitely the nicer one between me and him. Yeah, between the siblings.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Q.<\/strong> How would you describe the way your belief in yourself has grown with what you\u2019ve learned about what you can accomplish?<\/p>\n<p><strong>EALA:<\/strong> I think I have a pretty strong baseline of belief in myself. And of course, it can all, it\u2019s very normal that it fluctuates. There are moments where it\u2019s more difficult to believe in yourself. And there are moments where it\u2019s much easier. But I think my baseline has remained quite steady, and maybe on an incline, but a very, very, very slow incline. I think that\u2019s what\u2019s important is to have that foundation of, I know what I can do, I\u2019m strong, who I am as a person, what my character is. And then of course, the results may vary, depending on the time of the year and how you\u2019re doing at the moment.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ NEXT: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.tennis365.com\/tennis-news\/alex-eala-usopen-prediction-former-finalist-coco-gauff\">Alex Eala gets bold prediction from former US Open finalist ahead of potential Coco Gauff clash<\/a><br \/>\n<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><!-- Article End --><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/article>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Alex Eala\u2019s full press conference ahead of 2026 US Open as she makes \u2018growth\u2019 revelation Ewan West 29 Aug 2026 8:50 AM Alex Eala smiling Alex Eala said she has \u201cexperienced so much growth in the past year\u201d as she spoke to the media ahead of her 2026 US Open campaign. The world No 18, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,249],"class_list":["post-2117704","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-tennis365-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2117704","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2117704"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2117704\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2117704"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2117704"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2117704"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}