Playing — and winning — in the hallowed grounds of the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City has been a dream for Alex Eala since she was a little girl.

On Monday morning (Manila time), the 20-year-old Eala finally realized her childhood dream when she pulled off a shocking 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) triumph over world No. 14 Clara Tauson of Denmark in the opening round of the US Open women’s singles event.

She said pulling off a historic win in one of the most prestigious tennis courts in the world in front of a massive pro-Filipino crowd was such a special moment, something that will inspire her as she moves forward in her young professional tennis career.

“For me to be able to share this super special moment, I mean, it’s crazy because they’ve been there from the start, like now. They would go see me in the courts in the Philippines for my matches, where the courts are cracked, you know, there’s holes in the net, like the fences are nonexistent,” Eala told Tennis365.

“You know, to come here to this, I said, like the Vatican of all courts, it’s like my dream court. I thought it was so important to share it with them.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also couldn’t contain his excitement upon learning tennis champ Alex Eala’s latest achievement.

“She’s only getting started! Congratulations, Alex! The entire Philippines is with you in every fight you have. Together we will shout to the world the greatness of Filipinos!” the Chief Executive said in a social media post. Eala has come a long way since playing at the courts of Valle Verde in Pasig City.

For one, she is now in the Top 100 of the Women’s Tennis Association rankings and has been invited to Grand Slams and other high-level WTA tournaments like the Miami Open and the Italian Open.

She has defeated four other tennis players in the Top 20 and former Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia, Madison Keys of the United States, world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, and now Tauson, making her a must-watch for tennis fans around the world.

Eala said her family has been a source of strength for her as she continues her journey as a professional tennis player.

“They’re such an essential part of not just my career, but my whole life,” Eala said.

“Family is important to me, and that’s how they raised me. They’re always supportive. They always had my back. They always showed love.”