From the Philippines to Mexico, US Open second round reflects tennis’ global spread
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Coleman Wong of Hong Kong during his clash with Aleksandar Kovacevic of the United States in the first round of the US Open.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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NEW YORK – Players from the Philippines and Hong Kong will be on the schedule for the second round of a Grand Slam for the first time this week, as the US Open sees the impact of an increasingly global game.
Alexandra Eala beat 14th seed Clara Tauson of Denmark 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) to secure the Philippines’ first Major match win on Aug 24, while likewise qualifier Coleman Wong carried the flag for Hong Kong when he beat American Aleksandar Kovacevic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7-4) on Aug 25.
Both their victories were another triumph for tennis players who train at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca.
“I’m still soaking it in, because it’s a big moment for me and also my family, and Hong Kong people back home. It means a lot,” Wong, 21, said shortly after his win, revealing that he had already received a congratulatory text message from Spanish legend Nadal.
Renata Zarazua added to the global appeal as she became the first Mexican player to beat a top-10 opponent at Flushing Meadows in the Open Era with a stunning 6-7 (10-12), 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 upset over sixth seed Madison Keys.
A day earlier, Janice Tjen earned Indonesia’s first victory in a Grand Slam main draw in 22 years when she knocked out 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova 6-4, 4-6, 6-4.
While it is still early days in the notoriously gruelling final Slam of the year, players say it is a sign of progress in a sport where only a handful of countries were once represented on the world stage.
“Tennis is becoming a bit more popular, more global,” said Zarazua, who looked up to the Williams sisters when she was younger, with few Mexican stars in her sport.
“They’re also doing a great job in the Slams and in other tournaments to kind of promote them pretty well.”
The 20-year-old Eala, who got the world’s attention with a run to the Miami semi-final in March, got a leg up from the Majors as a four-time recipient of funding from the Grand Slam Player Development Programme.
Established by the four Slams and the International Tennis Federation in 1986, the programme focuses its efforts on bringing more competitive opportunities to players from developing tennis nations.
“As a person, I’m very ambitious. Although there was no one from my country who did this before or was successful in tennis, I took inspiration from anyone I could,” said Eala.
Other recipients of the 2025 grant programme included Brazil’s Joao Fonseca, a fan favourite who broke through in 2025 when he became the youngest Brazilian player to win an ATP title in the Open Era in February.
The 19-year-old won on his US Open debut 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 on Aug 25 against Serbia’s Miomir Kecmanovic in front of a raucous crowd at the Grandstand, sticking around to sign autographs long after the match ended.
For 23-year-old Tjen, those massive New York crowds provide a chance at getting in the next generation behind her.
“Hopefully like this, by me making an appearance here will help, will inspire more tennis players,” she told reporters. “Believing that, like, they can be here too.”
REUTERS, AFP
