Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala continues to etch her name into the history books — this time after recording her first ever win at a Grand Slam.
Eala bucked the odds and completed a stunning third-set comeback to oust 14th seed Clara Tauson, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11), in the first round of the US Open.
The 20-year-old had stepped into the US Open main draw for the very first time with hundreds of loud, flag-waving Filipinos in New York behind her.
Eala has already made history in New York before, having won the girls’ singles title there in 2022. However, she failed to get through the qualifiers in 2023 and 2024.
This time around, Eala would not be denied.
Tauson, ranked inside the world’s Top 20, looked in control early, holding serve with powerful deliveries to open 1-0.
But Eala immediately answered from the baseline to level at 1-1.
In a tense third game, Eala earned four break points, only for Tauson to escape with clutch first serves to hold 2-1. Eala then settled in, unleashing her trademark groundstrokes to hold easily for 2-2.
The Filipina broke through in the fifth game with superb returns and aggressive baseline hitting, then consolidated for a 4-2 lead.
Tauson steadied her serve to close the gap, but Eala stayed relentless, answering every power shot to lead 5-3 before sealing the opening set 6-3 in just 41 minutes.
Tauson regrouped in the second set, breaking early and finding her rhythm in the rallies. With sharper baseline play and strong serving, she pulled away to a 6-2 win, forcing a decider.
The third set saw Tauson surge ahead 5-1, her booming serves making the difference.
But Eala refused to fold. With the crowd behind her, she stormed back to 5-5, then held serve for a 6-5 advantage. Tauson forced a tiebreak, setting up a nail-biting finish.
In a dramatic breaker, Eala finally closed the match on her fifth match point, 13-11, as the stadium erupted.
“I had to dig deep, mentally and physically. I’m just so happy to take this win,” she said in her post-match interview, also thanking the Filipino fans who cheered in full force.
As she exited the court, US Open security had to escort her past a jubilant, chanting crowd celebrating a historic breakthrough moment.
With the victory, Eala not only earned her first US Open main-draw win, but also became the first Filipina to advance to the tournament’s second round. (ABS-CBN News)