NEW YORK (AFP) — Coleman Wong claimed a slice of history at the US Open on Monday, becoming the first man from Hong Kong to win a Grand Slam singles match in the Open era with a straight-set win over Aleksandar Kovacevic.

Wong, 21, who had already scored a notable first by battling through qualifiers to reach the main draw, extended his New York fairytale with a 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (7/4) win at Flushing Meadows.

The win was another triumph for tennis players who train at Rafael Nadal’s academy in Mallorca: Wong’s close friend Alexandra Eala had become the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles match in her opening round on Sunday.

“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 said, shortly after his win, revealing that he had already received a congratulatory text message from Spanish legend Nadal.

Wong took up tennis at the age of five, first picking up a racket at Hong Kong’s Victoria Park tennis courts when his elder sister fell ill and was unable to attend a lesson. Wong took her place and the rest is history.

He later trained at the Hong Kong Sports Institute at Sha Tin, before moving to Nadal’s academy at the age of 17.

His transition from Asia to Europe was aided by fellow Nadal student Eala, who was at courtside on Monday to watch Wong’s victory.

“At first, it was tough because it was Covid times when I moved over there,” Wong said of his move to Spain.

“Alex helped me a lot to get used to the environment because she was there for a long time. It took me, I think, a year to to adjust. I’d never been to Spain before, and I barely go to Europe before. So from being a little kid from Hong Kong all the way to Spain, it’s tough.”

Wong first served notice of his talent earlier this year, defeating Ben Shelton — seeded six in New York — in the second round of the Miami Open Masters event.

Since then, Wong has struggled to make much impression at ATP level, mostly exiting in qualifying rounds at events, including the French Open and Wimbledon.