MANILA, Philippines — “Carry it on.”
These are the marching phrases of Filipina tennis delight Alex Eala as she shoots for the celebrities in opposition to the game’s titans in her major draw debut within the 2025 US Open in New York.
Eala takes on World No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark in a first-round baptism of fireside, hoping to exorcise the ghosts of her early exits in her first two Grand Slam tries within the French Open and Wimbledon.
“Fueled to provide every part. Something’s doable. Carry it on,” mentioned Eala, teasing additionally on her upcoming industrial with Gatorade, forward of a tall order in opposition to Tauson at 12:10 a.m. Monday (Manila time).
Eala’s conflict versus Tauson, additionally seeded 14th within the stacked 128-player solid, is scheduled because the twelfth match on the Grandstand of the USTA Billie Jean Nationwide Tennis Middle with the opportunity of being pushed again relying on the prior video games.
This can mark Eala’s return to the US since an epic run within the Miami Open final summer season marked by a semifinal end and historic wins in opposition to a bevy of top-25 and former Grand Slam champions, together with Madison Keys, Jelena Ostapenko and Iga Swiatek.
That magical marketing campaign propelled her contained in the Prime 100 from No. 140, serving as her eligibility ticket as direct entries, as a substitute of wildcard qualifier, to all Grand Slam major attracts and WTA 1000 tournaments.
Eala was additionally a ruler of the US Open ladies’ singles in 2022, making it a fruits of her professional transition from a junior sensation within the greatest and brightest of levels in opposition to elite ladies’s counterparts.
However the 20-year-old rising star – unseeded and all – is as prepared as ever in springing upsets after each other, particularly in a bracket stuffed with top-ranked gamers ought to she be capable of advance.
On the board of Eala is world No. 36 Cristina Bucsa of Spain within the second and No. 31 Elise Martens of Belgium within the third rounds, given their fairly odds in opposition to lower-ranked opponents from the wildcard qualifiers.
The climb then solely will get steeper from there, with World No. 1 and reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka or No. 30 Leylah Fernandez projected to face in her manner by the fourth spherical.
Different giants in her bracket are No. 4 Jessica Pegula, her semis tormentor within the Miami Open, No. 4 Mirra Andreeva, No. 8 Jasmine Paolini and No. 10 Elena Rybakina, with the winner slugging out in opposition to the survivor of the alternative bracket led by World No. 2 Swiatek, No. 3 Coco Gauff and No. 6 Keys among the many few.
Eala is hoping for her lengthy break to work wonders in opposition to the in-form and probably exhausted opposition after absolutely recovering from a minor shoulder harm final month and a homecoming within the Philippines that might add further gas to her bid.
