Alexandra Eala, representing the Philippines, has made history at the US Open by becoming the first player from her country to win a Grand Slam match in the Open era. Eala achieved this feat by defeating the 14th seed, Clara Tauson, with a score of 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) on Sunday.
Eala’s victory was even more impressive as she came back from a 5-1 deficit in the third set, showing remarkable resilience and determination on the court.
Eala, 20 years old and currently ranked 75th, trains at the Rafael Nadal Academy. This victory marks her fourth triumph against a top 20 opponent in 2025, including a win over Iga Swiatek in March, on the way to the Miami Open semifinals.
The crucial moment of the match came in the final set, with Tauson leading 5-4 and serving for the match for the second time. A key point involved a video review, a system introduced at the US Open in 2023 to assist officials with important decisions.Chair umpire Kader Nouni, after the review, determined that Eala had hit the ball correctly, awarding him the point. This gave Eala two break opportunities at 15-40.
After the decision, Tauson expressed her disagreement, which caused a delay before the game resumed. Tauson committed a double fault, which tied the score at 5-5 and provoked a great reaction from the crowd, who were supporting Eala.
Eala won 16 of the last 21 points and was soon one point away from victory. However, it took him five match points to secure the victory after more than 2 and a half hours of play.
When Tauson sent her last long forehand, Eala fell to the ground, covering her face with her hands.
After getting up and greeting Tauson on the network, Eala celebrated her historic victory with enthusiasm, while the crowd roared with approval.
