Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime on teaming up with Alex Eala at US Open: ‘It's a great opportunity’
Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada is excited to share the court with Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala in the US Open mixed doubles next week.
Speaking with Tennis Channel, the 26-year-old Canadian player reflected on the opportunity to team up with Eala and experience firsthand the support of her passionate fanbase.
“It is a great opportunity because I did not play last year. This time around, I get to feel what it’s like to have the ‘Eala-effect’ and fanbase behind me,” Auger-Aliassime said.
“She has the fanbase, she’s carrying the crowd,” the ATP's No. 4 added. "It's gonna be interesting."
For her part, Eala, currently ranked No. 20 is equally excited about teaming up with Auger-Aliassime, saying the US Open’s mixed doubles event presents a unique opportunity to compete alongside the Canadian.
“I am so excited for the opportunity to play with him,” the 21-year-old tennis ace told the US Open.
“The US Open is a very electric place to play doubles, and I think mixed doubles especially, with the lineups that there are, is going to be very interesting and a really great opportunity for me," she added.
This will be Eala and Auger-Aliassime's first time competing in mixed doubles at a Grand Slam.
The pair will be part of a star-studded mixed doubles field featuring some of the biggest names in tennis, including Aryna Sabalenka, Novak Djokovic, Iga Swiatek, Casper Ruud, Jessica Pegula, Jack Draper, Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe.
Defending champions Sara Errani and Andrea Vavassori will also return.
The mixed doubles competition will run from Aug. 24 to 26 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
The two players share ties to the Rafael Nadal Academy. Eala spent her formative years training in Mallorca, while Auger-Aliassime was a regular at the academy, where he trained with Toni Nadal, who was part of his coaching team from 2021 to 2024.
Standing 6'4", Auger-Aliassime is currently ranked No. 4 in the ATP rankings. In February 2026, he successfully defended his Montpellier title to claim his ninth ATP Tour singles title, making him the Canadian man with the most tour-level singles titles in the Open Era. Eight of his nine titles have come on indoor hard courts.
Among his other notable achievements, Auger-Aliassime reached the semifinals at Queen's Club in 2019, as well as two US Open semifinals, in 2021 and 2025, and in 2026 became the first Canadian man to reach the quarterfinals at all four Grand Slam tournaments.
He is married to his longtime partner, equestrian Nina Ghaibi. The couple became engaged in 2024 and married in Marrakech, Morocco, on Sept. 20, 2025.
Other than the mixed doubles match, Eala will also take part in the Stars of the Open exhibition on Aug. 27, joining fellow rising tennis stars Learner Tien, Iva Jovic, Arthur Fils, Amanda Anisimova, Alex Michelsen and Marta Kostyuk. The event will feature four singles matches in support of the USTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the USTA that provides tennis and educational programs to underserved communities.
