US Open 2025
Dates: August 24 through September 7 in Flushing Meadows, New York
In front of a raucous US Open crowd on Sunday, Alexandra Eala made Grand Slam history by making her first major-final appearance.
On her way to the Miami Open semi-finals in March, the Filipina defeated three Grand Slam winners in a row to reach one of the season’s breakout players.
The 20-year-old had previously lost three sets at the French Open and Wimbledon to never win a Grand Slam singles title.
However, Eala stunned world number 14 Clara Tauson in Flushing Meadows with a rousing victory in the grandstand, which was held at 11-11.
As Eala rallied from a set down to 5-1 in the third set, residents of Little Manila, a city in Queens that has a large Filipino community, packed the stands to cheer her on.
Eala is the first Filipina to triumph in an Open Grand Slam main draw match.
It is truly unique. World number 75 Eala said, “I take so much pride in being Filipino.
Eala became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles trophy after winning the US Open juniors title in 2022.
On her way to the Miami Final Four, she defeated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, current Australian Open champion Madison Keys, and former world number one Iga Swiatek.
She became the first Filipino woman to ever reach the top 100 of the world.
The 14th seed let her frustrations pour out at a crucial point in the third set as Tauson, a big hitter who can be wayward, held on unwaveringly.
The Dane complained that her opponent had hit the ball before it had crossed the net after Eala had scored two break points with Tauson with a lead of 5-4 in the decider.
As she argued with the umpire, Kader Nouni, the crowd booed her.
Eala remarked, “It was very challenging.
“She]Tauson is a huge player,” says I’m so happy I was able to dig in. “Undoubtedly not a draw for a first round, but I’m so happy that I did.
I believed that I had to exert all of my physical and mental fortitude.
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Source: BBC
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