Filipina tennis star Alex Eala bowed out of the 2025 US Open after a 6-4, 6-3 defeat to Spain’s Cristina Bucșa in the second round in New York early yesterday morning (Philippine time).
It was a tough result for World No. 75 Eala, who committed 21 unforced errors throughout the match and converted just three of her nine break points.
A slight favorite against World No. 95 Bucșa, Eala had held her serve for a 4-3 advantage in the opening set. But she squandered two break points in the ensuing game, committing back-to-back unforced errors to keep Bucșa in the hunt.
The Spaniard pounced on the opportunity, firing a forehand winner and then an ace to tie the set and seize the momentum.
Bucșa went on to break Eala’s serve in the ensuing game for a 5-4 lead. She saved three break points in the 10th game, again relying on her forehand, before Eala committed two consecutive errors that clinched the set in Bucșa’s favor.
Errors continued to hound Eala in the second set, with a costly double fault in the fifth game handing Bucșa a 3-2 advantage. The Filipina stayed afloat after Bucșa committed a series of errors in the ensuing game, but Eala could not sustain her momentum.
Instead, Bucșa proceeded to break Eala’s serve in the seventh game to seize the lead and never looked back.
Despite the loss, the tournament was one to remember for the 20-year-old Eala, who had already made history when she stunned Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson in the first round, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13/11), to become the first player from the Philippines to win a singles match in a Grand Slam.
It was a new height for the Filipina, who burst onto the scene in March earlier this year with a Cinderella run to the semifinals of the Miami Open. There, she defeated a handful of Grand Slam champions, including former World No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland.
Much like in her first round win against Tauson, Eala received great support from the Filipino fans who flocked to Court 7 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Eala would stay on to sign some autographs after her loss, thanking the fans who cheered her on despite the result.
Bucșa will play the winner of the showdown between 19th seed Elise Mertens of Belgium and New Zealand’s Lulu Sun.
Eala is the second Southeast Asian to exit the tournament, after Indonesian qualifier Janice Tjen succumbed to former US Open champion Emma Raducanu, 6-2, 6-1.
Like Eala, Tjen recorded a historic victory in the first round when she upset Russian 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova. However, she was ousted by Raducanu, who booked her place in the third round with a clinical performance. (ABS-CBN News / Agence France-Presse)
Caption
Alexandra Eala of the Philippines returns against Cristina Bucsa of Spain during their women’s singles on Day 4 of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. (Getty Images / AFP photo)