History hit hard in New York, and it came swinging from a 20-year-old Filipina named Alex Eala.
On her US Open debut, she did what no Filipino has ever done before—win a Grand Slam main draw singles match.
Ranked 75th in the world, Eala upset World No. 15 Clara Tauson in a dramatic three-set thriller that saw her climb out of a 1-5 hole in the final set. Backed by a rowdy Filipino crowd at the Grandstand, she battled through the pressure, saved match points, and delivered a victory that stamped her name in the record books. Alex Eala makes Filipino Grand Slam history at the US Open.
This moment didn’t come out of nowhere. Eala has been building her resume all season—semifinal run in Miami, a WTA final in Eastbourne, and a debut on Wimbledon’s Centre Court.
Each stop brought praise for her grit, but this breakthrough was different. The US Open stage has history, weight, and legacy, and Eala walked into it carrying the pride of a nation.
The match itself was a rollercoaster. She took the first set 6-3, dropped the second 2-6, and looked done when Tauson sprinted ahead in the third. Instead, Eala clawed back, rattled off five straight games, and forced a tiebreak that stretched into double digits. After sealing it 13-11, she dropped to the court in tears, overwhelmed by both relief and joy.
For Eala, this is only the beginning. She knows the next rounds bring tougher names, but she’s proven she belongs in the conversation.
More importantly, she’s shown every Filipino kid with a racket that the dream is real.
From Grandstand court to history books, Alex Eala makes Filipino Grand Slam history at the US Open.
