Alexandra Eala etched her name in tennis history on Sunday, becoming the first Filipina player in the Open Era to win a main draw match at a Grand Slam. The electrifying victory came at the U.S. Open in New York, where Eala, 20, staged a remarkable comeback against the formidable Clara Tauson.
Filipina Tennis Star Stages Dramatic U.S. Open Comeback
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Eala rallied from a significant deficit in the final set to secure her historic win.
- Alexandra Eala achieved a historic Grand Slam milestone.
- She battled back from 1-5 down in the final set.
- The win took 2 hours and 36 minutes and went to a tiebreak.
- Eala previously won the U.S. Open junior title in 2022.
Losing 5-1 in the deciding set, Eala, fueled by the raucous New York crowd, fought her way back to force a tiebreak. She needed five match points to finally overcome the 14th-ranked Tauson with a final score of 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(7-11). This triumph propels her into the second round of the U.S. Open.
“Being a Filipina is something that I feel very proud,” Eala shared after the match. “And, as you know, I do not have a tournament at home, so I can have this community here at the U.S. Open, I am very grateful that they have made me feel at home.”
The young Filipina talent has been making waves in the tennis world this year, notably reaching the semifinals of the WTA 1000 in Miami. There, she defeated Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek. Returning to American soil, Eala picked up right where she left off.
A Match of Resilience and Crowd Support
The match saw an early exchange of breaks, with Eala gaining the upper hand at 3-2 in the first set. This came shortly after Tauson had expressed frustration with crowd noise to the chair umpire, leading to a warning. As Eala extended her lead to 5-3, the umpire requested silence during points.
While Eala clinched the first set, Tauson found her rhythm in the second, breaking Eala’s serve three times to force a decisive third set. Tauson appeared poised for victory when she led 5-1. However, Eala, backed by the roaring crowd, mounted an incredible comeback. She broke Tauson’s serve twice, the second time following a double fault from the Danish player.
The crucial double fault occurred right after a video review confirmed Eala had kept the ball in play, creating a break point opportunity, a decision that visibly frustrated Tauson. Despite her momentary dismay, Tauson managed to save one match point to push the set into a tiebreak. Though she held a 8-4 lead and saved three more match points, Eala’s resilience ultimately prevailed.
“I always want more history,” Eala reflected. “This game is one to remember, for me.”
A Glimpse of Future Success
This isn’t Eala’s first brush with historical significance in New York. In 2022, she became the first Filipina to win a Grand Slam junior singles title, also at the U.S. Open. Her junior campaign saw her defeat Mirra Andreeva 6-4, 6-0 in the quarterfinals and Victoria Mboko 6-1, 7-6(5) in the semifinals. She went on to beat Lucie Havlickova 6-2, 6-4 in the final to claim the championship.
Eala’s focus now shifts to advancing to the third round of a Grand Slam for the very first time in her professional career.
