Alex Eala Shines at 2026 US Open—Anna Wintour Takes Notice

In New York, under the bright lights of the 2026 US Open, Alex Eala is doing more than chasing forehands and backhands. She’s catching the eye of Anna Wintour.

The longtime Vogue editor and undisputed fashion power broker was courtside on Tuesday (Aug. 25), taking in an exhibition match between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick. Amid the nostalgia of two greats sharing the stage again, Wintour’s attention drifted toward the future — and one of the sport’s rising names from the Philippines.

“It’s really interesting, especially when you look at players like Serena [Williams] and Naomi [Osaka] who really embrace fashion and express themselves with it,” Wintour said in an interview, a clip of which appeared on the tournament’s official social media pages.

Then the screen flashed an image of Eala.

“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 continued, drawing a clear line between the 21-year-old and the sport’s most style-conscious champions.

The compliment landed at a pivotal moment in Eala’s career. Days before stepping into her US Open campaign, she surged to a career-high World No. 18 in the latest WTA rankings, a milestone that underlines her growing influence not just in Philippine sport, but on the global stage.

On court, Eala’s game has sharpened: heavier groundstrokes, smarter point construction, a presence that no longer feels like a promising junior testing the waters but a fully-fledged contender. Off court, she is starting to own the space in a different way — through a look that’s been described as fashion-forward, effortlessly chic, and unmistakably feminine.

The connection between the two worlds came into sharper focus when Wintour and Eala met during the event. A brief handshake, captured in a video shared by Facebook user Rulee Occiano, said plenty. The young star in tennis whites. The fashion icon in her trademark poise. Two very different arenas, one shared spotlight.

“I think it’s great, it’s wonderful how sports and fashion have become this wonderful sort of marriage,” Wintour said, summing up a trend that has reshaped how athletes present themselves and how fans connect with them.

Eala stands right in the middle of that shift. She is part of a generation that grew up watching Serena Williams dominate in statement outfits and Naomi Osaka turn Grand Slam stages into runways of self-expression. Now, as the Filipino climbs the rankings and strides into one of the sport’s biggest tournaments, she does so with a clear sense of style that refuses to be an afterthought.

For a player still only 21, the endorsement from someone like Wintour is no small thing. It signals that Eala is no longer just a promising name in tennis circles. She is becoming a face — and a silhouette — that the wider world is starting to recognize.

The question now is how far she can take both.