US Open: Alexandra Eala becomes first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles match

Eala burst into tears amid raucous support as she produced a stunning comeback against Clara Tauson

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates match point against Clara Tauson of Denmark. AFP

Alexandra Eala became the first Filipino player to win a main draw match at a Grand Slam in the professional era, as she beat 14th seed Clara Tauson in an opening round upset at the US Open on Sunday.

Eala burst into tears amid raucous support from the Grandstand crowd as she produced a stunning comeback from 5-1 down in the third set to beat the Dane 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 after Tauson had twice served for the match.

"It means a lot, I think you could see by my reaction," Eala told reporters. "Everything just made it so special – from who I was playing to the crowd, it was amazing. I’m so blessed to be the first to do this. I take so much pride in representing my country.

"I'm so blessed to be the first to do this. It makes what I do bigger than myself, and it adds meaning to what I do."

The 20-year-old is no stranger to big moments at Flushing Meadows, having made history in 2022 as the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles title.

The historic day for Southeast Asia was sweetened by Janice Tjen, who became the first Indonesian in 22 years to win a match at a major. Tjen beat 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 and will face Britain's Emma Raducanu in the second round.

"I feel proud to be able to do this for my country," Tjen said. "Hopefully like this, by me making appearance here, will inspire more tennis players, like, younger kids to play tennis and also believing that they can be here too."

Eala said that succeeding alongside Tjen made her achievement even more meaningful.

"I'm so happy to see the progress of tennis in Southeast Asia in general," she said. "I've known [Tjen] for a long time, so I'm happy for her. I'm happy that players from this region are coming up and starting to be successful."

Eala will aim to carry her momentum into Wednesday’s second-round match against either Spain's Cristina Bucsa or American qualifier Claire Liu.

"I think the key for my upcoming match is just to come in with the same mentality, same fight," she added.

"Right now I'm just focused on recovering. That was a very tough match, but I think this will help long-term."

Djokovic admits fitness concerns

Novak Djokovic admitted to concerns about his physical condition after advancing to the second round of the US Open, as the Serbian great continues his quest for a historic 25th Grand Slam singles title.

The 37-year-old, who required a medical timeout to treat a blister on his right foot during his straight-sets victory over American teenager Learner Tien, also revealed that he had struggled unexpectedly with stamina in the middle stages of the match.

“I started great – just over 20 minutes, first set, I felt really good,” Djokovic said after his 6-1, 7-6, 6-2 win on Arthur Ashe Stadium. “Then some long games to start the second set … I was really surprised how bad I was feeling physically. There are positives but also things that hopefully won’t happen again.”

Djokovic, who skipped Masters tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati to prepare solely for New York following his Wimbledon semi-final defeat last month, looked sharp early on. He tore through the opening set with trademark precision and control, striking winners at will as the 19-year-old Tien was left chasing shadows.

But signs of trouble emerged in the second set as Djokovic’s intensity dipped. After receiving treatment on his foot before the third set, Djokovic returned with renewed energy. He raced into a commanding lead and, despite a brief fightback from Tien, closed out victory in just over two hours.

Djokovic, the reigning Australian and French Open champion, is chasing a record-extending 25th major crown that would move him further ahead of Rafael Nadal’s 22 and cement his place at the summit of men’s tennis. He next faces another American, qualifier Zachary Svajda, in the second round.

“I wish I had Learner Tien’s age,” Djokovic joked afterwards. “When you come into the late 30s, it’s about learning how to preserve the energy for what matters. I still have the flair, I still have the drive, and you guys give me the energy. Hopefully I can keep it going.”

American stars shine

For the host nation, there were encouraging signs elsewhere as Taylor Fritz and Ben Shelton underlined growing hopes of ending a 22-year drought for US men at their home Slam.

Fritz, seeded fourth and last year’s finalist, shrugged off a sluggish start to defeat compatriot Emilio Nava 7-5, 6-2, 6-3 at Louis Armstrong Stadium. The 26-year-old Californian fired 11 aces and dictated from the baseline as he bids to go one better than his run to the final in 2023, when he lost to Jannik Sinner.

“We’re in a great place in American tennis,” Fritz said. “The women have been carrying for a long time but the men – we’re coming.”

Shelton, a semi-finalist in New York last year and fresh from winning his maiden Masters 1000 title in Toronto, impressed in a 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 win over Peruvian qualifier Ignacio Buse. The 22-year-old, whose booming serve and fearless shot-making have made him a fan favourite, produced 35 winners to set up a second-round clash with Spain’s Pablo Carreno Busta.

“Starting to feel like home for me. This is the best court in tennis,” Shelton said of Arthur Ashe. “It’s my favourite place to play, favourite court, favourite tournament.”