Alex Eala said to have been given rare permissions by Nike that Roger Federer and Serena Williams weren’t granted

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Eala’s US Open outfit sold out faster than any other Nike athlete.

Which stadium should Alex Eala play her next US Open match on?

Grandstand, Louis Armstrong, or Arthur Ashe…

During her first-round match, Williams’ coach, Rennae Stubbs, shared an interesting observation about Eala’s relationship with the sports-fashion brand.

Rennae Stubbs says Nike gave Alex Eala rare permission to wear sponsor patches on her outfits

Commentating for the World Feed, Stubbs said the following about Eala’s brand value.

“You know how big it is, because she has patches [of sponsors] on her dress, which is a Nike dress,” she said.

“And Nike usually don’t allow things on their clothes.

“There’s only been a few players through the years who have had that, Li Na was one, I think that may have started it in a lot of ways.

“Qinwen Zheng as well, and now, Alex Eala.

“If you look at most of the Nike players, none of them have sponsorship deals on their clothing, because Nike pays them so much.

“Think of all the years Roger Federer played with Nike, no patches, Rafa [Nadal], Serena [Williams].”

Eala’s US Open outfit features two of her main sponsors, BPI [Bank of the Philippine Islands] and Globe Telecom.

The world number 18 has been allowed to feature sponsors on her clothes, a privilege that wasn’t afforded to the likes of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Serena Williams.

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And it’s easy to understand why.

Eala’s star power is growing by the day, and Nike will want to do whatever they can to keep hold of her.

Nike lost Federer, one of the greatest players of all time, to UNIQLO in 2018, and won’t want history to repeat itself with the Filipina sensation.

It’s unclear exactly when her Nike contract is up for renewal, but whenever it is, there won’t be many more sought-after signatures in women’s sport than Eala’s.

Alex Eala’s stock rises with dominant US Open first-round win

Eala made a dominant start to her US Open campaign on Tuesday evening, defeating the American qualifier, Mary Stoiana, 6-1, 6-2.

The 21-year-old never looked in trouble on Louis Armstrong Stadium, securing her place in the second round with a 1hr, 18-minute win.

She will now prepare to take on Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova.

Eala and Oliynykova have met once before, at the Internationaux de Strasbourg earlier this year.

It was the Ukrainian who prevailed in Strasbourg, battling back from a set down to beat Eala, 3-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Alex Eala vs Oleksandra Oliynykova – Match stats

Eala’s serve let her down that day, but she will have a chance to redeem herself in their first hard-court meeting.

If she can level the head-to-head at 1-1, she will likely meet the home favourite Iva Jovic in the third round.

Eala also has a losing head-to-head record against Jovic (0-2), having struggled against her close friend in Paris and Queen’s.

Which player worries you the most in Alex Eala’s US Open draw?

The Filipina will need to improve if she is to reach the fourth round of her second consecutive Grand Slam tournament, and the challenges will only get tougher from there on.

She could play Coco Gauff, the 2023 US Open champion in the last 16.

Then, Eala could play Mirra Andreeva and Elena Rybakina, the 2026 French Open and Australian Open champions, in her next two matches.

And, if Eala makes it to the final, she is expected to meet Aryna Sabalenka, who won the US Open in 2024 and 2025.

It remains to be seen if the 21-year-old can win her first Grand Slam title in New York.

She will resume her US Open campaign on Wednesday, September 3, against Oliynykova.