Alex Eala Shines at the 2026 US Open: A Rising Star in Tennis and Fashion
In New York, under the bright lights of the 2026 US Open, Alex Eala is doing more than chasing balls on hard courts. She’s catching eyes off it, too — including those of Anna Wintour.
The longtime Vogue editor and undisputed fashion power broker was courtside on Tuesday (Aug 25) for an exhibition featuring Roger Federer and Andy Roddick. Amid the nostalgia of two great champions sharing the stage again, it was a 21-year-old Filipino rising star who stole a different kind of spotlight.
During an interview shown on the tournament’s official social media pages, Wintour spoke about the growing bond between elite tennis and high fashion, name-checking Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka as standard-bearers of that crossover. Then the conversation shifted.
A photo of Eala flashed on screen.
“We had the young Filipino star — you could see even in such a young star, how interested she is in fashion and how she wants to learn about it and follow it,” Wintour said, her comments placing Eala in the same breath as the sport’s most visible style icons. Earlier, she had called it “really interesting” to see players embrace fashion as a form of self-expression.
For a player still carving out her place on tour, that’s no small endorsement.
The two met during the event, captured in a video shared by Facebook user Rulee Occiano: a brief handshake, a quick exchange, but a telling snapshot of where Eala’s profile is heading. On one side, one of the most influential figures in global fashion. On the other, a young athlete whose game and image are rising in tandem.
The timing of the moment is striking. Just days before her US Open campaign, Eala surged to a career-high World No. 18 in the latest WTA rankings, a breakthrough that confirms her as one of the most promising players of her generation. Her tennis is peaking as the sport’s biggest stage opens its doors again.
Her look has kept pace with her ranking.
Eala has been turning heads with a style that’s clean but confident, fashion-forward without trying too hard — a blend of chic and feminine touches that stands out in a sea of standard-issue kit. It’s the kind of presence that fits neatly into Wintour’s view of tennis and fashion as a “wonderful sort of marriage,” a partnership that has transformed players into cultural figures far beyond the baseline.
For Filipino fans, the sight of their homegrown star being singled out by Wintour at Flushing Meadows is another milestone. For Eala, it’s a sign that her impact is starting to stretch beyond scorelines and seedings.
The tennis world already knows her as a threat on court. Now, as New York takes notice, the question is how far this young Filipino star can push her influence — and how many stages, sporting and otherwise, she’s about to own.
