The US Open’s Day 5 schedule sparked backlash. Alex Eala got Louis Armstrong Stadium, while six-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek was sent to the smaller Grandstand court. Fans were furious, reporters questioned the decision, and now Eala has responded to the favoritism claims.
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“I’m grateful to be on Armstrong and to play on such an incredible court. But yeah, I don’t control the scheduling,” replied the Filipino star when asked about the comments about the US Open favoring her over Grand Slam champions.
Alex Eala isn’t worried about which court comes next. Her goal is simple: she needs to win. The No. 17 seed beat Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4 in just 64 minutes, converting five of seven break points to reach the US Open third round for the first time.
Iva Jovic booked her third-round spot with a straight-sets win over Francesca Jones. The No. 14 seed won 6-4, 6-4, converting four of 14 break points and finishing with 75 of the 137 total points. The victory set up a third-round clash with Eala.
What made the decision harder for fans to accept was Swiatek’s status. She had played her first-round match against Wang Xiyu on Louis Armstrong, only to be moved to Grandstand for her second-round clash with Nadia Podoroska.
Meanwhile, Naomi Osaka, Alexander Zverev and Coco Gauff were on Arthur Ashe, while Elena Rybakina, Alex Eala and Learner Tien got Louis Armstrong.
Swiatek, a six-time Grand Slam champion, was the obvious name missing from the two biggest courts.
Still, Grand Slam scheduling has never been based only on rankings or trophies.
At the 2026 Australian Open, No. 6 seed Jessica Pegula opened Day 5 on Rod Laver Arena against McCartney Kessler, while defending champion Madison Keys was placed on John Cain Arena against Ashlyn Krueger. Even Iga Swiatek played on John Cain later that day.
Fans noticed that too.
Some questioned why the defending champion had been moved away from Rod Laver, with one saying they “would’ve expected better court assignment” for Keys. Still, the reaction never exploded into the kind of favoritism debate now surrounding Eala at the US Open.
Eala also had one thing working strongly in her favor. She could fill seats. The No. 17 seed arrived after winning Washington and reaching Wimbledon’s fourth round, while her booming Filipino fanbase had already turned her matches into some of the loudest draws in New York.
That became obvious in the first round. Filipino supporters were so loud that chair umpire Marijana Veljovic had to intervene.
“Please, out of respect for both players, keep your voices down,” she warned during play.
Eala has said the size of those crowds can still surprise her, but she has learned to stay focused. With Filipino flags filling the stands and every point drawing a reaction, Armstrong clearly felt different whenever she played there.
That kind of crowd pull gave the US Open a clear reason to keep putting Eala on a bigger stage, even if fans were not happy seeing Swiatek moved elsewhere.
Now the scheduling debate takes a back seat. Eala is through to the third round, where she will face Iva Jovic, and once again, the only part she can control is what happens on court.