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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Alex Eala set for tough US Open first-round battle against Clara Tauson

Alex Eala set for tough US Open first-round battle against Clara Tauson

Published Aug 22, 2025 11:10 am

At A Glance

  • This marks the first meeting between Eala and Tauson in any Women's Tennis Association (WTA) event.
Alex Eala returns to Grand Slam action with a tough opener ahead. (File Photo/AP)
Alex Eala returns to Grand Slam action with a tough opener ahead. (File Photo/AP)
Alex Eala braces for another tough challenge as she resumes her Grand Slam campaign at the 2025 US Open in New York this week.
The country’s top tennis player is set to face 14th seed Clara Tauson in the opening round on Sunday, Aug. 24 (Philippine time), following the release of the tournament draw.
This marks the first meeting between Eala and Tauson in any Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) event.
It also serves as Eala’s third direct entry into a Grand Slam main draw. The 20-year-old last competed at the National Bank Open in Canada in late July, before withdrawing from the Cincinnati Open and Monterrey Open to recover from a shoulder injury.
She enters the US Open ranked No. 70 in the WTA singles rankings.
Tauson, meanwhile, is aiming for a breakthrough Grand Slam crown, having reached only as far as the fourth round in a major -- a feat she achieved at Wimbledon just a few months ago.
So far, she has won one title this year -- the ASB Classic in Auckland last January -- after Naomi Osaka withdrew in the second set of their finals match.
The 22-year-old Danish standout currently holds a career-high WTA ranking of No. 15.
Both Eala and Tauson are in the upper half of the 128-player draw, which also includes defending champion and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, ninth seed Elena Rybakina, former Grand Slam winner Emma Raducanu, and 31st seed Leylah Fernandez, a Canadian star of Filipino descent.
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