Alex Eala was poised in her Grand Slam debut as she staged a comeback, notching a historic feat to stun World No. 14 Clara Tauson, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11), in her main draw opener at the US Open on Monday morning (Manila time).
Looking back, the Filipino tennis star won her first Grand Slam title at the US Open in 2022, when she reigned in the girls’ singles division.
Eala’s breakthrough in New York came after a brief layoff, as she had withdrawn from the Cincinnati tournament to nurse a shoulder injury sustained during the Montreal Open—making her upset win over the World No. 14 even more remarkable.
Coming back from injury, a renewed Eala displayed masterful back-and-forth shot-making, making it gritty for the Danish player as she uncorked an incendiary surge from a 1-5 deficit.
The 20-year-old Filipina unleashed a last-ditch rally in the deciding tiebreak, regaining her footing from the brink as she erased match points and traded punishing groundstrokes with Tauson before finally sealing the marathon set, 13-11.
Eala burst with emotion after her historic win, saluting the loud Filipino crowd in the stands.
“To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in,” she stated.
With the victory, Eala secured her historic main draw entry and improved her 2025 record to 27-18, while Denmark’s Clara Tauson, despite a hard-fought bid, slipped to 28-16.
