Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala knocks out No.14 seed Clara Tauson

Alexandra Eala, 20, became the first player from the Philippines in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam main-draw match with her first-round victory Sunday at the US Open.

Trailing 5-1 in the final set, Eala staged a dramatic comeback to force a third-set tiebreak with Danish player Clara Tauson, 23, whose career-high ranking is world No. 14 in singles as of August 25, 2025. 

Down 5-1 in the final set, Eala mounted a thrilling rally to push the match into a third-set tiebreak.

She saved her best for last, needing five match points before toppling Tauson, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (11), in a gruelling 2-hour, 36-minute battle to book a second-round spot in New York.

The crowd cheered her on every step of the way.

“To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in,” Eala said after the match. “And you know, I don’t have a home tournament, so to be able to have this community here at the US Open, I’m so grateful that they made me feel like I’m home.”