Tennis champ Alex Eala wins first qualifying match for US Open 2024

Posted: August 21st, 2024 ˑ Filled under: Sports, Youth ˑ  No Comments
Barely catching her breath after her first qualifier win, Eala greets her Filipino fans at the US Open Fan Week. Photos by Marivir Montebon

By Marivir Montebon

Philippine tennis champion Alex Eala made a historic entry into the US Open on August 19 as she won her first qualifying match against 26-year-old Australian Maddison Inglis.

Eala, 19, is the first Filipino tennis player to have the chance to qualify in the 16 spots at the US Open 2024. At the sun-drenched Court 14 of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Eala played dominantly against 26-year-old Inglis from Perth.

She needs to win two additional qualifying matches this week to advance to the main games. She scored 6-2-6 against Inglis’s 3-6-1 for the two-hour-and-three-minute match.

The New York crowd was dominated by Filipino cheerers at the US Open’s first day of Fan Week and may have given Eala’s win a boost.

Wearing a lavender tennis dress, Alex Eala wins her first qualifier to the US Open 2024 in New York. Two more wins and she’s on her way to the main games. 
At Court 14 of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York, Eala signs autographs and poses for selfies with Filipino fans.

Asked how she managed to stay on top of the game, she smiled and said, “Di ko inakalang ganito kadaming mga Pinoy.” (I didn’t realize there were a lot of Filipinos here.) Eala said she’s happy for her initial victory and looks forward to another match on August 21.

Tennis buff and accountant Ledy Almadin said she’s happy with Eala’s historic win.

She wrote on Facebook: “Amazing support for Alex from the Filipinos. Never seen something like this before. It’s a milestone for the Philippine athlete, first Pinay to ever play professional at the US Open Tennis. Though it’s only in the qualifier at the moment, this is a great start.”

Born in Quezon City, Philippines, Alexandra Maniego Eala is currently ranked 143rd by the Women’s Tennis Association. She won her first junior singles title in the 2022 US Open. The teen trailblazer has trained at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain since she was 13 years old.

“Rafael Nadal has taught her focus and confidence. It’s showing on how she plays her game,” remarked Almadin.

Consul General Senen Mangalile, who was in the crowd and watching from the Tennis Center, said on Facebook, “Let’s go, Alex! Our hopes are with you.”

This article was originally published in OSM online magazine.



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