Alexandra Eala and Clara Tauson’s thrilling clash at the 2025 US Open erupted in controversy as Tauson engaged in a heated confrontation with the chair umpire. The Dane was also forced to deal with pushback from the passionate Filipino contingent in the crowd while raising her complaints.
Eala, who broke out on the scene with her impressive semifinal run at the Miami Open, made a stellar return to the United States for the New York Major. The 20-year-old made a strong start to her campaign by claiming the opening set 6-3, while Tauson complained about the crowd noise to the chair umpire. Despite her annoyance with the audience, the Dane won the second set to force a decider.
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Clara Tauson appeared to be on the verge of victory after gaining a 5-1 lead in the final set. However, Alexandra Eala secured two crucial breaks of serve to stay in the contest. While serving for the match at 5-4, Tauson took issue with Eala's volley at the net during a crucial point and went up to the chair umpire Kader Nouni to argue that the 20-year-old's racket had crossed the net before making contact with the ball.
Although Tauson felt she was vindicated by the video review, the umpire stood by his decision to award the point to Eala after reviewing the footage. The Dane, who was only three points away from victory, also faced loud boos from the crowd as she appeared visibly frustrated over the umpire's ruling.
Alexandra Eala went on to make history as the first player from the Philippines to win a main-draw match at a Grand Slam after making an extraordinary comeback to claim a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(11) victory. In her on-court interview, the 20-year-old said she was delighted to receive such backing from her compatriots in New York as she thanked the crowd for their vocal support during the match.
"To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in. And you know, I don’t have a home tournament, so to be able to have this community here at the US Open, I’m so grateful that they made me feel like I’m home," Alexandra Eala said.
After her win over Clara Tauson, Alexandra Eala will face the winner of the match between Cristina Bucsa and Claire Liu in the second round of the US Open.
