NEW YORK – Alexandra Eerra has become the first player to represent the Philippines to win a Grand Slam match during the opening era. 14th seed Clara Towson 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) returned from a 5-1 shortfall in the third set, and gained help from a major video review decision before beating No. 14 seed Clara Towson 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11).
Eala is 20 years old and ranks 75th, and is trained at Rafael Nadal Academy. This was her fourth victory over her top 20 opponents in 2025, including a victory over Iga Swiatek on the way to the Miami Open semi-finals in March.
The Flushing Meadows were very close to the Queens area known as Little Manila for the large Philippines community and flocked to the grandstands to cheer for Ira, one of the upcoming stars on the women’s tour.
“Being a Filipino is something I am extremely proud of,” Ela said. “I don’t have a home tournament so I’m very grateful that I made me feel at home so I can open this community in the US.”
A pivotal moment was the final set, with Towson clinging to a 5-4 lead and serving in his second match. Eala hit a shot near the net, but it was not immediately clear whether the racket crossed the tape and contacted the ball during play, but was not permitted.
Chairperson’s judge Kader Nouni adopted a video review. This is a system introduced in 2023 at the US Open by a small number of courts, allowing staff to check calls such as double bounces, and has been expanded to all 17 competitive arenas this year.
Nouni decided that Eala hit the ball fairly and gave her two chances of breaks 15-40, awarding her points. However, there was a long delay before the action resumed, but Towson said, “Look at the ball. What’s your opinion about this? What’s your opinion?” part of the stand booed her.
Even after his decision was made clear to everyone, Towson spent the extra time standing at the baseline with his hands on his hips before hitting the next serve. Eventually, Towson double folded it into five, eliciting a wild response from the crowd who had loudly supported Ira.
That gave Aerra 16 of her final 21 points, and soon she left the victory. However, it took a little time. In the end, we needed five match points to finish the victory after more than two and a half hours.
As Towson sent her last forehand long, Ira fell on her back on the court, covering her face with both hands.
After Ira stood up and met Towson online for a handshake, the winner skipped around the court while the audience gathered approval.
ESPN investigation, Associated Press and PA contributed to this report.