Eala exits US Open in loss to Bucsa, joins Sao Paulo Open
ALEXANDRA “ALEX” EALA’s quest for glory is not ending anytime soon.
Ms. Eala saw her Grand Slam season come to an abrupt end in the US Open but not without invaluable feats and lessons she hopes to carry over to her next campaigns the rest of the year.
The US Open, where she bowed in the second round after a historic debut, served as the final tennis major this year but definitely not the end of the road for the Filipina pride, who will look to continue scaling the world rankings through the non-stop Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Tour resuming in Brazil next month.
Ms. Eala, world No. 75, is already listed in the main draw of the Sao Paulo Open slated on Sept. 8 to 14 for a fresh start following a 6-4, 6-3 loss to No. 95 Cristina Bucsa of Spain in Round 2 of the US Open in Queens, New York.
She was on an all-time high momentum on the heels a breakthrough 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) win over world No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark but could not sustain it even against a lower-ranked opponent.
Ms. Eala, coming off a shoulder injury, had control of both sets, 3-2 and 2-1, but ran out of steam to fall short from repeating a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (10-8) win over the 27-year-old Spanish in the W25 Grenoble in France back in 2021.
But all’s not lost for Ms. Eala, who threaded uncharted territory for Philippine tennis with appearances in all four Slams and deep playoff runs in WTA tourneys. Save for an early exit in the Australian Open qualifying draw, Ms. Eala made it to the main draws of the French Open, Wimbledon and US Open, where she became the first Filipina ever to score a victory plus a $154,000 or approximately P8.7 million in cash prize.
Ms. Eala this year also soared as the first Pinay to reach three pro semifinals in the Canberra International, Miami Open and Eastbourne Open, where she became the first finalist from the Philippines as well.
To date, the Miami Open run was her greatest run — and purse at $332,160 (around P19 million) — as it marked titanic wins against three Top-25 players and former Grand Slam champions in Madison Keys of the United States, Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland.
That campaign for the books propelled her from No. 140 to inside the Top 100 of the WTA that also serves as her direct ticket entry to all WTA 1000 tournaments and Grand Slam main draws from here on.
A graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain in 2023, Ms. Eala listed three main goals this season: to make it to the Top 100, to play in the Grand Slam main draw and to win another pro title which she last achieved in 2024.
Ms. Eala, holder of five pro titles including a junior Grand Slam in the 2022 US Open, reached as high as No. 56 and did not only qualify but scored a Slam victory in the same tournament.
Up next for the taking is an elusive pro title this year and buoyed by historic US Open stint, the Filipina phenom is keen on chasing it for an unfulfilled promise it at all costs in Brazil. — John Bryan Ulanday
