Nike is Dropping Alex Eala's 2026 US Open Dress

Alex Eala has officially arrived as a legitimate contender on the WTA Tour. Eala burst onto the scene last year with an upset win over Iga Swiatek in the Miami Open, and continued to make history for the Philippines with each new accomplishment.

The 21-year-old was a global superstar before last week's DC Open title, but now she is selling out stadiums in Toronto and could take over the entire North American hard court swing. Nike recognized Eala's marketing potential and is releasing her dress for the 2026 US Open.

Shopping Information

Alex Eala models her Nike tennis dress. — Alex Eala's NikeCourt Slam tennis dress. | Nike

This week, fans got their first look at the Eala's NikeCourt Slam women's tennis dress for the final Major of the year. Best of all, the tennis dress will soon be available for purchase for $140 in women's sizes at Nike.com.

Nike (and adidas) are leaning into basketball themes for this year's US Open. Aryna Sabalenka received negative commentary on social media for her basketball net-inspired tennis dress, and Eala's kit features similar design elements.

Basketball-Inspired Details

According to Nike's product description, players can strike first in this lightweight slam-ready dress. Its basketball-inspired detailing helps Nike's elite tennis players feel like they've won before they even step on the court. Some stretch in the fabric helps you move with ease in this sleek, tailored fit.

The dress sports a shade of blue called Old Royal, with black and white outlines. The Basketball-inspired large hole mesh panels help you stay cool. Meanwhile, the racerback shape aligns with the Swoosh medium-support bra. The Striped tape finishes the outfit.

Nike Needs the US Open

Nike has only recently started releasing Naomi Osaka's custom kits, which have all sold out quickly. While this dress will likely be worn by other players besides Eala, it will be associated with the Filipina trailblazer.

Every Grand Slam is important to sportswear brands, but the US Open is a home game for Nike. The company can't continue to get shown up by adidas and other upstart brands.

Nike's Signature Athletes

In the post-Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams era, Nike has fallen behind its competitors in tennis. The American brand has still not released signature collections for Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner debuted his signature Fox logo almost two years ago at the ATP Finals in Turin, and it's still nowhere to be found. Alcaraz's logo has been trademarked, but has not been debuted.

On the women's side, Osaka is the only signature athlete. Qinwen Zheng has an apparel collection available in Asian markets, but not globally. If anything can jolt Nike awake, it's the rapid rise of Eala.

Eala's Future With Nike

Eala is a Nike athlete, but not a signature athlete. Nike has released limited-edition apparel capsules for Eala in select markets. Hopefully, there is more Eala gear on the way.

The 2026 US Open runs from August 23 through September 13. Stay locked into Sports Illustrated's Serve On SI for all of your tennis news from the court and beyond.

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