Alex Eala's US Open run ended in the second round with a 6-4, 6-3 loss to Spain's Cristina Bucsa, but her exit carried no sense of failure. Even with this loss, the 20-year-old carved her name into history as the first Filipina to win main draw singles match at a Grand Slam -- a milestone that turns what could have been an ending into a powerful beginning.
Bucsa struck first in the opening set, breaking serve in the opening game with a series of crisp returns that immediately put Eala on the defensive. Eala, answered back with a break of her own to level the match and steady the momentum. From there, both players settled into their service games, exchanging holds through the middle stretch as neither allowed much of an opening.
The tension built with every rally in the last two games of the set, but it was the 27-year-old Bucsa who finally made the breakthrough in the ninth game, capitalizing on a few loose errors from Eala and great serves to earn the decisive break. With the advantage in hand, Bucsa confidently served out the set, 6-4, to put herself in front.
The second set unfolded in familiar fashion, with both players trading early breaks in the opening two games. But unlike the opener, Bucsa wasted little time in tightening her grip, pressing on Eala's serve with deep returns and forcing errors to secure another break in the fifth game. Eala refused to back down, immediately breaking back to keep herself within striking distance, flashing her trademark aggression from the baseline.
Yet Bucsa's consistency and experience ultimately proved decisive -- she dictated with her steady groundstrokes, mixed in well-placed serves, and denied Eala the chance to build momentum. From there, the Spaniard regained control and strung together the final games to close out the set, 6-3, and seal the match.
This was a payback on Bucsa's end in her loss against Eala back in 2021 in the Round of 16 of the W25 Grenoble tournament in France.
For Eala, the loss may have ended her campaign at Flushing Meadows, but hardly diminished the significance of what she accomplished. Breaking through for her first main draw Grand Slam win at just 20 years old is a landmark moment not just for her, but for Philippine tennis as a whole. She showed that she can go toe-to-toe with seasoned players on one of the sport's biggest stages, proving her game continues to mature under pressure.
The road ahead remains long, but Eala's trajectory points upward. With her relentless work ethic, growing experience on the tour, and the poise she displayed against top competition, the future looks bright. This US Open run may be a closing chapter for the season in terms of the Slams, but for Eala, it feels more like the beginning of an even bigger story still waiting to be written.