CHRIS Ross had the time of his life last August when he had a chance to watch Alex Eala at the US Open while San Miguel was in its offseason before the PBA 50th Season.
Ross was even fortunate enough to watch the epic comeback of Eala in the first round of the Grand Slam when she defeated world No. 14 Clara Tauson of Denmark, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11), after being down 5-1 in the third and final set at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, New York.
That turned out to Eala's first, and so far only, win in a Grand Slam tournament.
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“That was the biggest sporting event I’ve been through in my life,” said Ross when asked about his experience of watching Eala at the US Open. “Not only that I was watching her and her make history for our country, but how she came back and did it.”
Ross said the first-round match of Eala in the 2025 US Open even surpasses some of the biggest sports events that he witnessed in his life, including basketball.
“It was definitely like the top sporting event that I’ve been to. And I’ve watched LeBron [James] in the finals,” said Ross, recalling the time he watched the Miami Heat against the San Antonio Spurs in a game in the NBA Finals.
“I’m a huge Spurs fan and I watched LeBron, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh play in the NBA Finals versus the Spurs. That first-round match at the US Open was by far (on top),” said Ross.
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Ross said he makes it a point to follow major tennis events including the US Open, and watching it in person was on his bucket list.
“I love watching the main tournaments. I watch Wimbledon. I watch the Aussie [Open]. I watch Roland Garros. I watch the US Open. I always stay up late and watch. And one of my bucket list things is to watch one of those major tournaments live.
"And since I was on vacation, I was able to go to New York. My girlfriend loves New York. We were able to knock two birds with one stone. I wouldn’t change that. I would do it a hundred times,” Ross said.
Ross said he scheduled a trip to New York as part of his vacation after San Miguel won last season’s Philippine Cup Finals against TNT but was still unsure whether he will have the chance to watch Eala at the US Open.
Then things fell into place.
“I always wanted to watch the US Open. But since I knew she was going to play, I might as well just watch her. My original plan was to watch the final weekend, whether the quarterfinals, semis, or the finals.
"But since she was in the tournament, and she was going to be in the first round, and we weren’t going to be there for the second weekend, I was like maybe I can watch her. The tricky thing was the schedule didn’t come out ‘till two days before. I’ve already booked my flight to New York, but I didn’t know when she is going to play.
“But I didn’t know when she is going to play. Luckily, it worked out and we were able to get there early in the afternoon and it was amazing. I don’t regret it,” said Ross.
What also made the moment even more special is that Ross was able to spend it with his loved ones including his mother, alongside fellow Filipinos who cheered Eala on as she tried to mount a comeback against the seeded Danish netter.
“I was saying that at the beginning of that match, there was maybe a thousand people there maybe. And then, by the end of it, there was 10,000 people and they were all cheering for her. I felt like we were back home in the Philippines.”
“I had goosebumps and I had my girlfriend with me, and my baby. Our yaya and my mom were there. They don’t even watch tennis and they became tennis fans. Ever since then, they’ve been watching every tennis match they could,” said Ross.
As an athlete, Ross, seeking his 12th PBA title in the ongoing PBA 50th Season Philippine Cup Finals, said there are a lot to learn from Eala in the match that he witnessed first-hand where she showed strength in the face of adversity.
“When she was down, honestly, it was one more game, match was done. She was literally, face in her palms, she never game up. That’s what I want to put in my team," said the veteran Fil-Am guard.
"It was similar to Game Seven versus Ginebra (in last season’s PBA Philippine Cup semifinals) when we were down double digits, going to the fourth, we didn’t give up. That’s one thing that I want to bring."
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