The Grandstand was going absolutely bonkers, a chorus of cheers cutting through the New York cacophony. And right in the middle of the madness was Alexandra Eala, the great hope of her nation, lying flat on her back with her hands covering her face as the roar of the crowd hit peak decibel.
The first player from the Philippines to ever win a Grand Slam match had just whipped the crowd into a frenzy, rallying from a double break down and converting her fifth match point to prevail over No. 14 seed Clara Tauson—and notch a milestone that will forever be etched into US Open lore.
“I was just so over the moon, and it was just such a rush of emotions,” Eala told a room full of reporters on Sunday in New York. “I think so many factors made the match so special, and I’ve been on the losing side of these tight tiebreaks before, so to be on the winning side, it’s very memorable.”
When she speaks of the “losing side,” Eala could be referring to her trip to the Eastbourne final in June, where she became the first Filipina player to ever reach a WTA final, but lost in heartbreaking fashion to Australia’s Maya Joint, another of the WTA’s uber-talented teenagers.
Joint saved four championship points in a cliff-hanger that left Eala reeling, but not to worry, the world No. 75 is at the stage of her career when every experience is an opportunity for growth.
“Although I’m at the start of my WTA career, I’ve played so many matches, and tight matches and tense moments can happen at any level,” she told reporters. “I’ve been playing since I was four. I’m 20 now, so that’s 16 years of experience, whether it’s at the junior level, 10-and-under level, professional level.
“I think that mental strength and that focus are the keys to coming out victorious in those moments.”
Buoyed by the confidence that comes with having experiences like her stunning run to the Miami semifinals in March, which saw the explosive southpaw defeat three former Grand Slam champions—Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek—to reach the final four, Eala has been making a steady climb up the rankings.
Miami was the tournament that propelled her into the Top 100 for the first time; another brick in the wall of belief Eala is building for herself, and it’s just the beginning.
Ten of Eala’s 12 WTA-level victories have come this season, and each new achievement seems to make her hungrier for the next. Adding fuel to her fire is the fact that she’s not just playing for herself, she’s playing for her country.
“I’m so blessed to be the first to do this,” Eala said of her history-making victory. “I take so much pride in representing my country. It makes what I do bigger than myself, and it adds meaning to what I do.
“I’m very ambitious. Although there was no one from my country who did this before or was successful in tennis, I took inspiration from anyone I could; from my family, from my brother.”
And her messages for young Filipinos and other players from Southeast Asia? Spot-on, just like her crackling tennis.
“I would say that anything is possible, and to dream big.”
Eala will face Spain’s Cristina Bucsa in second-round action at the US Open. (source: US Open News usopen.org)
