Fil-Am San Antonio Spurs rookie Dylan Harper made sure to give Filipina tennis star Alex Eala her flowers after a historic US Open first-round victory.
Dylan Harper may be thousands of miles away preparing for his NBA debut, but the San Antonio Spurs rookie made sure to cheer on a fellow Filipino making history on tennis’ biggest stage.
Harper took time to show his support to Eala after the Filipina’s historic first-round victory at the 2025 US Open.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala completes miracle comeback to beat world no. 14 Clara Tauson at the US Open]
In an Instagram Story, the Fil-Am rookie posted three simple emojis while resharing the Filipina’s post-match interview in a small but meaningful nod of support to a kababayan breaking barriers.
[Instagram: @dylharpp]
Eala delivered the breakthrough performance Filipino tennis fans had long waited for, becoming the first player representing the Philippines to win a Grand Slam main-draw match in the Open era.
She fought back from a 5-1 hole in the third set and erased five match points to shock world no. 14 Clara Tauson, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11), in a marathon that lasted two hours and 36 minutes.
The victory not only ended Eala’s string of first-round exits — at the French Open in May and Wimbledon in July — but also reinforced her reputation as a big-stage competitor in New York, where she captured the 2022 girls’ singles title to become the first Filipino junior Grand Slam champion.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala savors Filipino support in maiden US Open win — ‘They made me feel like I’m home’]
She advances to the second round, where she will face Spain’s Cristina Bucsa, who ousted American qualifier Claire Liu. Their match is set for Wednesday, August 27 (PH time) with the time still to be announced.
[ALSO READ: Big Apple, Big Dreams: Timeline of Alex Eala’s full circle moment at the US Open]
For Harper, the moment resonated beyond tennis as the second overall pick in June’s NBA Draft is set to begin his rookie season alongside Victor Wembanyama and De’Aaron Fox as the Spurs look to end a six-year playoff drought.
[ALSO READ: No. 2 pick Dylan Harper honors Filipina mom after going to Spurs in 2025 NBA Draft]
He also carries the pride of being the latest NBA player of Filipino heritage, joining Jordan Clarkson, Jalen Green and Jarred McCain.
[ALSO READ: LIST: Jordan Clarkson, Jalen Green, Dylan Harper, other NBA players with Filipino heritage]