Philippines tennis star Alexandra Eala bowed out of the Suzhou WTA 125 in China following a 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 defeat to Victorija Golubic.
Eala, had overcome Greet Minnen and Katarzyna Kawa on her way to a quarter-final showdown against Golubic.
Despite taking the first set, the Filipina struggled to get a foothold in the second set and, after forcing a tie-break in the third, finally succumbed to her Swiss opponent.
Eala, 20, made history in August, becoming the first Filipino player to win a main draw match at a Grand Slam in the professional era with victory over 14th seed Clara Tauson in the opening round at the US Open.
"It means a lot, I think you could see by my reaction," a tearful Eala told reporters in her post-match interview following her 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 upset over Tauson.
"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."
Ranked 58th in the world, Eala, 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.
In April, the talented lefty knocked out three Grand Slam champions – including five-time major winner Iga Swiatek – en route to the semi-finals at the Miami Open, becoming the first Filipina in history to reach the last-four at a WTA tour-level event.
Her historic achievement made headlines across the globe and her star status continues to grow exponentially back home in the Philippines.
Retired boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, a true Filipino hero, took notice of Eala’s run in Miami, and gave her a shout-out on social media.
“I think a lot of external factors have changed. More eyes on me, I guess, there’s more exposure,” Eala told reporters in Spain ahead of April's Madrid Open.
“But in the day-to-day and how I feel internally, nothing has changed much because the work ethic has always been there, my team has been so down to earth, keeping me grounded and reminding me what’s important to focus on right now.”
