On Sunday, Alexandra Eala did what no player from the Philippines has done in the Open Era: she won a main-draw singles match at a Grand Slam. And she did it in the most dramatic fashion imaginable, staging a breathtaking comeback to stun 14th seed Clara Tauson 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (11) in a first-round thriller that lasted two hours and 36 minutes.
A Rollercoaster of Momentum and Emotion
The match was a tale of two halves, with a final set that will be talked about for years. Eala started strong, feeding off the energy of a crowd that had adopted her as their own. She took the first set 6-3, displaying the fearless groundstrokes that made her a breakout star earlier this year in Miami.
Tauson, a powerful but sometimes erratic hitter, responded emphatically. She seized control of the second set, breaking Eala’s serve three times to level the match and force a decider.
The third set seemed to be a formality for the Dane. She raced out to a commanding 5-1 lead, leaving Eala on the brink of a third consecutive first-round Grand Slam exit in 2025.
But Eala, and the fervent New York crowd, had other ideas.
The Comeback
With the crowd rallying behind her on every point, Eala found another gear. She broke Tauson as the Dane served for the match at 5-2. Then, she broke again at 5-4 in a game marred by controversy. A video review confirmed Eala had legally hit a ball on her side of the net to earn a break point, a ruling that led to a frustrated Tauson double-faulting moments later.
The momentum had irrevocably shifted. Tauson, visibly rattled, saved one match point on her own serve to force a tiebreak, but the theater was only just beginning.
The tiebreak was a heart-stopping affair of its own. Eala raced to an 8-4 lead, only for Tauson to save three more match points. In the end, on her fifth match point, Eala finally clinched the victory, collapsing to the court in a mix of exhaustion and elation as the crowd erupted.
“I’m Always in the Mood for More History”
For Eala, the win was about more than just advancing to the second round. It was a moment of immense national pride.
“To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in,” Eala said in her post-match interview. “I don’t have a home tournament, so to be able to have this community here at the US Open, I’m so grateful that they made me feel like I’m home.”
When asked about the significance of her win, her ambition was clear: “I’m always in the mood for more history. This match is one for the books, for me.”
This isn’t her first historic moment in New York. In 2022, she became the first Filipino player to win a junior Grand Slam singles title right here at the US Open. Now, she’s breaking new ground on the biggest stage in the professional game.
What’s Next for Eala?
With the monumental win behind her, the world No. 75 will now focus on the second round, where she will face either Spain’s Cristina Bucsa or American Claire Liu. A win there would see her reach the third round of a major for the first time.
If the crowd has anything to say about it, she won’t be short on support. “Little Manila” in Queens showed up in force, and after a performance like that, the entire US Open crowd is now on notice.
One thing is certain: Alexandra Eala is no longer just a prospect. She’s a proven competitor, and she’s “in the mood for more.”
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