Alexandra “Alex” Eala pulled off a stunning comeback at the U.S. Open on Sunday, carving her name into tennis history as the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles main draw match.
The 20-year-old from Quezon City recovered from a 5-1 deficit in the deciding set to upset 14th seed Clara Tauson of Denmark, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11), in a dramatic first-round clash on the Grandstand court of Flushing Meadows.
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A Historic Breakthrough
Eala’s triumph came in front of hundreds of loud, flag-waving Filipino fans in New York, who erupted as she clinched the match on her fifth match point. She collapsed on the court in tears, later saying the win was a rush of emotions.
“I’ve been on the losing side of these tight tiebreaks before, so to finally win one on this stage, it’s very memorable,” she said.
The breakthrough adds to her growing list of achievements. Eala, a 2022 U.S. Open girls’ champion, had already made waves earlier this year with upset wins over Australian Open champion Madison Keys and former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek during a semifinal run at the Miami Open.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. joined Filipinos worldwide in celebrating Eala’s feat by sharing his sentiments in an online post.
“She’s only getting started! Congratulations, Alex Eala!” Marcos wrote on Instagram. “The entire Philippines is with you in every battle you face. Together, we will shout to the world the greatness of Filipinos!”
For her part, Eala emphasized that carrying the Philippine flag on the global tennis stage gives her strength and purpose. She said that every time she steps onto the court, she feels the pride of an entire nation behind her, and it fuels her determination to fight through the toughest moments of competition.
“I take so much pride in representing my country. It makes what I do bigger than myself, and it adds meaning to what I do,” she said.
Never-Say-Die Spirit
Eala admitted she had to dig deep in the third set as Tauson’s powerful serves put her on the brink of defeat.
“The key for me was just to fight, to keep that same mentality,” Eala said. “I’m just focused on recovering now and bringing that same fight into my next match.”
Her victory coincided with another Southeast Asian milestone: Indonesia’s Janice Tjen stunned 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova in her U.S. Open debut.
“I’m so happy to see the progress of tennis in Southeast Asia,” Eala said. “It’s inspiring to know players from our region are coming up and making it on the biggest stages.”
With her historic first-round win, Eala advances to the second round of the U.S. Open and continues to inspire a new generation of Filipino athletes as she proceeds in the tournament with high spirits.
