After three tries, Alex Eala finally got a breakthrough win in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament after a sensational victory at the US Open.
It was third time’s the charm for Filipino tennis darling Alex Eala, taking her first Grand Slam win after a sensational comeback against world no. 14 Clara Tauson, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(13-11) at the US Open on Monday (PH time).
Surviving a grueling showdown against the tough Tauson, Eala was the clear crowd favorite in a stadium that was dominated by Filipino fans.
[READ: Alex Eala completes miracle comeback to beat world no. 14 Clara Tauson at the US Open]
The 20-year-old had the benefit of crowd support in New York, which also led to the ire of Tauson who seemed to have been affected by the rowdiness of the supporters.
After the match, Eala spoke about the crowd and the impact of becoming the first Filipina to win a main draw match in a Grand Slam in the Open Era.
“It’s so special. You know, they make me more and more special," Eala said.
"To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in. 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,” she added.
Eala went on a truly epic comeback in the early hours of National Heroes Day in Manila as she battled back from a 1-5 deficit in the third set.
She won five games straight to seize the advantage late in the match, 6-5.
However, Tauson was not to be defeated easily as she saved a match point to drag Eala into a 10-point tiebreak.
There, Eala looked poised for the win when she seized the 8-4 lead, but Tauson stormed back to tie the match before the Filipina nabbed her second match point, 9-8, with a forehand winner.
However, Eala needed three more match points before finally putting away Tauson to complete the comeback.
Flushing Meadows seems to be a favorite for Eala in making history, as this victory comes some three years after winning the Girls’ Singles title back in 2022.