Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Alexandra Eala Scripts History at the 2025 US Open with Epic Fightback!

Eala came back from a double break in the third set and went on to create history for Philippines.

Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

World No. 70 Alexandra Eala produced a epic comeback in the round 1 of the US Open on Sunday. The Filipino ace defeated No. 14 seed Clara Tauson, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(11) to reach the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time. This match was a pure entertainer and the winner was decided on tiebreak.

It's your moment Alexandra Eala! pic.twitter.com/QV3rUmeAqb
— US Open Tennis (@usopen) August 24, 2025

Alexandra Eala Upsets Clara Tauson and Creates History for Philippines

The 2022 US Open junior girls’ singles champion was on the verge of facing first-round exit when Tauson took a 5-1 lead in the final set. Ela dominated the first set 6-3 but the Danish ace forced the decider, breaking serve three times. Tauson closed out the second set 6-2 and raced to a 5-1 lead in the final set. The 14th-seed required just one more game to reach the next round.

Eala seized the momentum in the set and broke her Denmark opponent twice while Tauson was serving for the match. Her second break came after double fault on break point. Video review was also taken on the double fault which confirmed that Eala had hit the ball on her side of the net.

Despite the drama in the final minutes, Tauson didn’t lose her cool and saved a point to force a tiebreak. Eala took the opportunity and built a 8-4 lead in the tiebreak. The Danish ace rallied and saved three more match points. However, the effort couldn’t prevail her defeat. Alexandra Eala fell flat on her back and burst into tears because this win was her first at Grand Slam.

Eala after becoming first Filipino player to win a Grand Slam main draw match in Open Era

“I wanna take you back to 2022 when you made history by becoming the first Filipino Grand Slam junior singles champion. Are you in the mood for creating more history?”

Alexandra: “I’m… pic.twitter.com/2gNB1Tf4NR
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 24, 2025

Eala came back from a double break in the third set and went on to create history for Philippines. The 20-year-old became the first player from the Philippines in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam main-draw match with her first-round victory at the US Open.

“I’m always in the mood for more history. This match is one for the books for me,” Eala said during the post-game presentation. “Although there was no one from my country who was successful in tennis, I took inspiration from anyone I could.. my family, my brother. Be ambitious. Dream big.”

Eala already showed her fightback display in the Miami Open this spring when she beat three Grand Slam champions, Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek to earn a semifinal berth. Eala was ranked 140 in the WTA rankings. Her determination and mental toughness helped her to get a memorable victory in the US Open.

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Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

2025 US Open

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.