Alex Eala of the Philippines reacts against Clara Tauson of Denmark during their Women’s Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 24, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala battles Spanish netter Cristina Bucsa in the second round of the 2025 US Open on Wednesday (Philippine time) in New York.
The 20-year-old Eala is coming off a maiden win in the main draw of a Grand Slam tournament.
READ: ‘Ambitious’ Alex Eala proves ‘anything is possible’ at US Open
“They weren’t kidding when they said this was the city of dreams. All sights set on second round,” wrote Eala on Instagram after her epic US Open breakthrough win against Clara Tauson of Denmark.
Eala became the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles match in the Open era after rallying past world No. 14 Tauson, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11), on Monday.
The 27-year-old Bucsa, an accomplished doubles player who is competing in her fifth US Open, dominated Christine Liu of the United States, 6-2, 6-1, to set a showdown against the Filipino tennis sensation.
READ: Alex Eala ‘over the moon’ after historic US Open breakthrough
Bucsa is ranked 95th in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA)—twenty spots lower than Eala. Bucsa, however, has the experience on her side as she is set to appear in round two of the US Open for the second time since 2022.
The daughter of Moldovan Olympic biathlete Ion Bucsa reached the third round of Wimbledon, where she fell to Solana Sierra, 7-5, 1-6, 6-1. She also reached the third round of the Australian Open in 2023 and the second round of the French Open last year, appearing in both Grand Slam main draws for the past four years.
Bucsa is a Paris Olympic Bronze medalist in doubles with partner Sara Sorribes Tormo. She also entered the second round of last year’s Olympics but fell to Filipino-Canadian Leylah Fernandez, 7-6(4), 3-6.
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