Alexandra Eala, the 20-year-old Filipina tennis prodigy, made history at the US Open by winning her first-ever Grand Slam singles main draw match. Ranked 75th globally, Eala overcame Danish 14th seed Clara Tauson in a gripping three-set battle (6-3, 2-6, 7-6(11)) on the Grandstand court, rallying from behind in the final set to secure a dramatic victory.
Eala, who had previously lost in the first round at both the French Open and Wimbledon this year, drew energy from a vocal crowd including New York’s Filipino community. Her triumph marks the first time a Filipina player has won a singles match at a major tournament in the Open Era, a milestone she described as “special” and a moment of immense national pride.
The win builds on Eala’s breakthrough 2025 season, which included a stunning run to the Miami Open semifinals where she defeated three Grand Slam champions: Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Świątek. These performances propelled her into the WTA Top 100, making her the first Filipino woman to achieve this ranking.
Eala’s resilience shone during the match when Tauson accused her of a rules violation at 5-4 in the third set, sparking crowd boos and a dispute with the umpire. Eala held her composure, broke back, and clinched the tiebreak. She next faces Spain’s Cristina Bucșa or American Claire Liu as she continues her historic US Open campaign.
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