NEW YORK -- Alex Eala and her fans are headed to the weekend at the US Open, along with two-time champion Naomi Osaka and 2023 winner Coco Gauff.
So is Madison Keys, but just barely.
Osaka recovered after a mid-match lapse to advance to the third round with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-1 victory over Katerina Siniakova on Thursday, before Eala beat Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4.
Doubles play also began, though Serena Williams and Venus Williams won't play their first-round match until Friday night against Hao-Ching Chan and Maya Joint, who beat Serena in singles play at Wimbledon this summer.
Eala, the No. 17 seed from the Philippines, gave her passionate backers reason to cheer immediately by winning the first nine points against her Ukrainian opponent, who had won their only previous meeting.
"I think everybody represents something in their own way; I'm Filipino and I proudly represent that," Eala said. "And a lot of the crowd here today is Filipino and I'm sure they share in that sentiment."
Osaka wore silver and white under her long white jacket with a white visor as she arrived for her match in Arthur Ashe Stadium, three days after she was dressed in black with her hair done in cornrows under a headband in a tribute to former NBA superstar Allen Iverson for her opener at night.
The No. 13 seed won the first set in 30 minutes and then opened a 4-2 lead in the second. But her level of play took a substantial dip, with 20 unforced errors in the set after only four in the first.
Osaka quickly regained control, breaking for a 2-0 lead in the third before finishing a 19-shot rally with a volley for a winner en route to taking the next game, appearing more relieved than excited by her nice touch.
"The match was definitely really tough and I don't know, I just felt like I had to fight," Osaka said. "I definitely had a couple opportunities in the second set and I think I was a little bit too hard on myself. So I took the bathroom break, regrouped a little, came back and just tried to have no regrets."
Keys, the 2017 runner-up, also was on the verge of an early exit before erasing five match points and edging Anna Bondar 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 (10-5).
"That was something, huh? No stress, though, we all knew I had it right?" Keys joked to the fans afterward.
Other winners included 2022 champion Iga Swiatek and 2025 runner-up Amanda Anisimova.
Gauff, who won her first major title at Flushing Meadows three years ago, moved on by beating Paula Badosa 6-4, 7-6 (5) under the lights on Ashe in just under two hours. Badosa was playing for a third consecutive day, forced to finish her first-round match Wednesday after play was suspended Tuesday because of rain that hampered the tournament for multiple days.
"Paula's a tough player," Gauff said. "I don't think there was too much I did wrong. I feel like she really stepped it up."
