Who is Mary Stoiana?

On Tuesday at Louis Armstrong Stadium, rising Filipina tennis star Alex Eala is set to face Mary Stoiana in the first round of the 2026 US Open.

“Eala-Mania” has taken over the tennis world this year, with the 21-year-old turning into one of the sport’s top attractions. Her success on the court solidified her position as the current World No. 18.

But let’s take a look at her opponent and get to know more about Stoiana.

Who is Mary Stoiana?

Mary Stoiana is a 23-year-old American tennis player from Southbury, Connecticut. Her father, Val, a Romanian immigrant, played collegiate tennis at St. John’s University. He was influential in Mary’s decision to pursue the sport.

“She was four or five, and you could see that she was athletic,” Val told Texas A&M’s 12th Man Foundation. “She would try to keep up with her brother and me, and pretty quickly she developed the fundamentals. Then she started playing tournaments against older kids and was competitive. So, early on, I kind of knew she was going to be good at it.”

Mary played collegiate tennis at Texas A&M, leading the Aggies to their first tennis national championship in 2024, when she was the No. 1 college tennis player in the country.

She’s currently ranked No. 122 in the world heading into her US Open main draw debut.

Mary Stoiana’s Road to the US Open

Fourth time is the charm for Mary Stoiana, who finally makes her US Open main draw debut after the grueling qualifying rounds. Stoiana had to beat Harmony Tan, Katie Swan and Yue Yuan to reach the first round, as per GMA Network.

Last year, Stoiana lost to Shuai Zhang in the first round of the qualifiers. She reached the second round of the qualifiers in 2024, losing to Marina Ribera. She also lost in the first round of the qualifiers against Viktorija Golubic in 2023.

Playing in the US Open has been one of Stoiana’s goals.

“I have always said, ‘I want to go pro. I want to play the U.S. Open. I want to win the U.S. Open,'” Stoiana said last year. “It has been something I have said forever, honestly.”

Stoiana is 0-1 in her career against Alex Eala. She lost 7-5, 6-2 in the second round of the 2024 Koser Jewelers Tennis Challenge in Landisville, Pennsylvania.

The 23-year-old also has three ITF singles titles and one ITF doubles title.

The match against Eala will also be her first-ever match in the main draw of any of the four Grand Slam tournaments.

How to Watch Alex Eala vs. Mary Stoiana?

Alex Eala and Mary Stoiana are set to clash after the Adolfo Daniel Vallejo vs. Gael Monfils match, which starts at 7:00 p.m. EST. It will be held at the Louis Armstrong Stadium inside the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York.

ESPN has the exclusive coverage of the 2026 US Open in the United States. Matches will be shown on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ABC. Live streaming is also an option on the ESPN App and Disney+.

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