Alex Eala’s maiden appearance in a Grand Slam mixed doubles event at the US Open came to a swift conclusion as she and Canadian partner Felix Auger‑Aliassime bowed to the husband‑and‑wife tandem of Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils, 1‑4, 1‑4, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York.
The Round of 16 match lasted only 39 minutes under the revamped mixed doubles format, which features first‑to‑four‑game sets, no‑ad scoring, and a 10‑point match tiebreak if necessary.
Monfils and Svitolina Assert Their Dominance
Eala and Auger‑Aliassime opened brightly, with the Canadian world No. 4 firing an ace to secure the first game. But Svitolina and Monfils quickly settled, reeling off four straight games to take the opening set.
The veteran couple’s chemistry proved difficult to counter. Monfils repeatedly unleashed forehand winners, while both he and Svitolina remained sharp on serve. Auger‑Aliassime’s two double faults in the fifth game only added to their woes, allowing the pair to close out the set, 4‑1.
The second set offered a brief spark. After dropping the opening game, Eala and Auger‑Aliassime held serve to level at 1‑all, buoyed by the Filipino fans inside Armstrong. Yet the momentum faded quickly. Errors resurfaced, and Svitolina and Monfils swept the next three games to seal another 4‑1 set.
The victory carried added significance for Monfils, who is contesting his final US Open before retiring at season’s end. It was also the couple’s first competitive doubles outing together since marrying.
A Quick Exit Despite Strong Support
Eala and Auger‑Aliassime finished with three aces and nine winners but committed eight unforced errors. By contrast, Svitolina and Monfils won all seven points behind their first serves and converted five of nine on second serve.
As in her previous tournaments, Eala drew strong support from Filipino fans based in the United States, who filled the stands to cheer her on.
The loss ends Eala’s mixed doubles campaign, but the 21‑year‑old still has two more appearances lined up in New York.
Eala Turns Focus to Singles and Stars of the Open
Next up is the Stars of the Open exhibition on August 27, where Eala is scheduled to face American teenager Iva Jovic.
More importantly, the world No. 18 will shift her attention to the women’s singles main draw, where she is seeded 17th. The US Open singles tournament begins on August 30, giving her several days to prepare for another Grand Slam run.
Eala will also look to improve on her showing in New York last year, when she earned her first US Open singles victory over Clara Tauson before reaching the second round.
