Alexandra Eala of the Philippines celebrates match point against Clara Tauson of Denmark during their Women's Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 24, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Sarah Stier, Getty Images/AFP
MANILA — Alex Eala continues to etch her name in history following her victory in the first round of the US Open.
The 20-year-old star, who completed a come-from-behind 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13/11) triumph over Denmark’s Clara Tauson early Monday in New York, became the first Filipino to score a singles match in a Grand Slam.
And with Eala making her mark once more, this not only delighted her countrymen and her fellow Pinoy athletes. She also earned the praises of one of the Philippines’ top players ever in the sport: Cecil Mamiit.
“[Her win] shows that she is building her grit, her resilience, you know, her fight in a stage like this, in the Grand Slam,” said Mamiit, who has a career-best ranking of World No.72. “That was a lot for her to gather.”
“You know, there's obviously the development, but I think she's doing really well, being aggressive, being active, and young. I think that the biggest thing is her fighting spirit,” he added.
READ: Alex Eala to face Cristina Bucșa in round 2 of US Open
Mamiit himself has extensive experience in the sport, competing in the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open as well.
On top of these are 15 medals in the Southeast Asian Games (six golds, six silvers, and three bronze medals).
However, Mamiit emphasized that Eala is just on another level.
“She's going in her own path, creating her own identity as a representative of the sport,” he said. “For me, I never made it to the second week. And that's something for her to really take advantage of and experience.”
Eala is set to face Cristina Bucșa in Round 2, and for Mamiit, the key for the Filipina star moving forward is maintaining her confidence.
“This is a matter of her just really being persistent, working on her game, and having self-belief,” Mamiit said.
“That's the biggest thing in this stage, you have to have that self-belief and get through that. And once you have that, then you can build from there,” he added. — With reports from Dyan Castillejo, ABS-CBN News
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