World No. 75 Alexandra Eala opened her 2025 US Open campaign with a bang on Sunday, upsetting Denmark's No. 14 Clara Tauson 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) to become the first-ever Filipina player to win a Grand Slam match in the Open Era.
"I'm so blessed to be the first to do this, I take so much pride in representing my country," Eala said following the victory. "It makes what I do bigger than myself."
The 2025 tennis season has been a banner year for the rising star, as a 2025 Miami Open run saw Eala defeat both 2025 Australian Open champ No. 6 Madison Keys and six-time Grand Slam winner No. 2 Iga Świątek en route to becoming the first-ever Filipina to advance to a WTA semifinal.
The 20-year-old has played professionally since graduating from Spain's Rafael Nadal Academy in 2023, with Sunday's win coming just three years after Eala claimed the 2022 US Open girls' championship.
The crowd in Queens was overwhelmingly behind their former junior champ on Sunday — a boost that Eala was quick to acknowledge in her post-match interview.
"To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in," Eala told reporters. “I don't have a home tournament, so to be able to have this community here at the US Open, I'm so grateful they made me feel like I'm home."
"This match is one for the books for me," she summed up.
Eala now moves on to the US Open's second round, hitting the court again on Wednesday against an as-yet-undetermined opponent.
How to watch the 2025 US Open
The first round of the 2025 US Open continues on Monday and Tuesday, with live coverage of the New York Grand Slam airing across ESPN platforms.