By Jason Cruz
NORTHWEST ASIAN WEEKLY
Welcome to another edition of The Layup Drill. In this episode, we look at the U.S. Open, the New York Mets latest callup, and a 26-year-old football kicker from Japan.
Alex Eala makes statement at U.S. Open
Alexandra Eala, of the Philippines, reacts after defeating Clara Tauson, of Denmark, during the first round of the US Open tennis championships, Sunday, Aug. 24, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Filipino-born professional tennis player Alexandra Eala made a statement at the U.S. Open with an upset victory over 14th ranked Clara Tauson. It was the first time that someone from the Philippines won a singles match at a tennis Grand Slam Tournament.
Eala created a viral moment during the match. After a hard fought point that she won, the camera saw her mouth a phrase in the filipino tagalog dialect which is often used to express emotion in Filipino culture. Many found the exclamation relatable as a young athlete experiencing a rush of excitement.
In her post match interview, Eala thanked the crowd in New York for cheering her on, “To be Filipino is something I take so much pride in.” Eala added, “To be able to have this community here in the U.S., I’m so grateful they made me feel like I’m home.”
Eala lost her second round match against Cristina Bucsa.
Tjen wins at U.S. Open
Janice Tjen, of Indonesia, at the U.S. Open tennis championships, on Aug. 27, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
Eala was not the only one to make history in the U.S. Open. Indonesian tennis player Janice Tjen earned a first round win with a three-set victory over Veronika Kudermetova. The 23-year-old had to win qualifying matches to get into the 128-player tournament field.
Tjen became the first Indonesian to play singles in a major tournament since 2004. Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, she went to the University of Oregon and then to Pepperdine University, where she played college tennis.
Tjen lost her second round match against Emma Raducanu.
Osaka returns to form in New York
Naomi Osaka, of Japan, returns a shot against Daria Kasatkina, of Australia, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Heather Khalifa)
2025 is the return of Naomi Osaka to tennis full-time. After the birth of her first child, a daughter named Shai, in 2023, she took a break from tennis. She also announced that she and the father of her child, rapper Cordrae, have separated on amicable terms.
The former number 1 women’s tennis player in the world started 2025 outside of the top 800. However, Osaka has had a string of solid tournaments which set her up to be the 22nd seeded player in the field at the U.S. Open. Osaka looks much-improved from some of her troubles prior to getting pregnant. She is back to her strong game from the baseline and overall confidence. She picked up her first upset of the tournament as she dominated her quarterfinal match against the 4th seeded Coco Gauff in straight sets. It will be the first time that she has reached the semifinals of a tournament since 2021.
New York Mets call up Jonah Tong
New York Mets pitcher Jonah Tong before a baseball game against the Miami Marlins on Aug. 31, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
The New York Mets called up prized prospect Jonah Tong last month. The 22-year-old Tong was born in Ontario, Canada. He is half Chinese on his father’s side. Tong was a seventh-round pick in the 2022 Major League Baseball draft. He is the organization’s number 4 prospect.
Tong started this year in AA Binghamton and then was promoted to AAA Syracuse in August. A couple weeks later, he was promoted to the major league club to start against the Miami Marlins on Aug. 29. Tong’s first inning in the major leagues was superb, as he only needed 6 pitches to get 3 outs. He ended up getting his first win of his major league career as he struck out 6 in 5 innings, as the Mets defeated the Marlins.
Hawaii’s field goal kicker learned kicking on YouTube
Hawaii place kicker Kansei Matsuzawa (17) before an NCAA football game against Arizona on on Aug. 30, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
During the first week of college football, the University of Hawaii scored an upset victory over Stanford. Hawaii won with a last second field goal by 26-year-old Kansei Matsuzawa. Born in Tokyo, Japan, Masuzawa traveled to the United States at 20 and watched an NFL game. A soccer player, Masuzawa became infatuated with the sport and decided he wanted to play. He learned to become a placekicker by watching videos on YouTube. Many videos were of Seattle Seahawks kicker Jason Myers. As he improved, he sent videos of his kicking to over 50 colleges hoping for a spot. Only one, Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio, gave him a shot. After two years, the opportunity at Hawaii popped up and he got his chance. Matsuzawa tied the game with Stanford with a 37-yard field goal in the fourth quarter. He then made a 38-yard field goal as the clock expired to win the game for Hawaii.
College game features two Asian American QBs
The next weekend, Hawaii played the Arizona Wildcats. The matchup featured the first time that two Asian American quarterbacks faced off against one another.
Hawaii quarterback Micah Alejado (12) in the first half during an NCAA football game against Arizona on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)
The Rainbows quarterback, Micah Alejado, is originally from Hawaii but played his senior year of high school football at Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. The redshirt freshman helped Hawaii defeat Stanford in the first game of the season. He is of Filipino and Chinese descent.
The Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita is a redshirt junior from Huntington Beach, California. He has started since 2023 and was named the Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year. Fifita is of Filipino and Tongan descent.
The Wildcats defeated the Rainbows 40-7. The quarterback’s statistics were nearly identical. Fifita threw for 161 yards and a touchdown while Alejado threw for 157 yards. Notably, Alejado left the game in the second half with an apparent ankle injury.
Jason can be reached at newstips@nwasianweekly.com.