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NEW YORK — Tennis legend Venus Williams urged rising star Alex Eala to embrace the joy of competition as she prepares for her US Open main draw debut.
In a press conference Saturday ahead of her historic return to Flushing Meadows, Williams shared her advice for Eala.
“Just enjoy yourself. When you’re having fun, things are easy. When you’re not, it’s not as much fun. You have to put the fun first,” Williams said when asked by Inquirer.net USA what she would advise Eala on the eve of her opening-round match at the 2025 US Open.
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Tennis icon Venus Williams holds a brief press conference on Saturday at the US Open media center ahead of her Aug. 25 match at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Photo by Elton Lugay
Eala, 20, is poised to make history as the first Filipina to play in the US Open, gaining direct entry into the women’s singles main draw.
She faces World No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark on Sunday at USTA Billie Jean Tennis Center in Queens, New York.
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A former junior World No. 2, she captured the 2022 US Open girls’ singles title and previously won junior doubles championships at the 2020 Australian Open and 2021 French Open.
She is scheduled to play her main-draw debut on Aug. 24 at 12:40 p.m. on the Grandstand court, which seats about 8,125 fans.
For Williams, 45, this year’s US Open marks another milestone. She will become the oldest singles participant in the tournament in more than four decades, since Renée Richards competed at age 47 in 1981.
Venus Williams returns a shot during the mixed doubles competition of the U.S. Open tennis tournament in New York, Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
This is Williams’ 25th US Open singles appearance. A two-time champion at Flushing Meadows and four-time Olympic gold medalist, she returned to competition in July at the DC Open, where she defeated Peyton Stearns to become the oldest player to win a WTA singles match since 2004.
“I love my job. So there’s the joy right there,” Williams said of her longevity. “I want to be my best, and that’s the expectation I have for myself — to get the best out of me.”
