Alex Eala serves up historic firsts in breakthrough 2025 season
Photo from alex.eala/Instagram
Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala may have bowed out of Wimbledon after a valiant three-set battle against the defending champion Barbora Krejčíková, but her presence on the iconic grass court marked a new era for Philippine tennis, defined by grit, history and national pride.
Eala, currently ranked world No. 56, the highest-ever singles ranking for a Filipina player, has achieved remarkable milestones in her 2025 season.
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She became the first Filipina to enter the main draw of Wimbledon in the Open Era, a breakthrough moment that added yet another chapter to her impressive list of trailblazing achievements.
Just days before Wimbledon, the 20-year-old made headlines as the first Filipina to reach a WTA Final at the Eastbourne Open, where she finished as runner-up.
Earlier in the year, she stunned the tennis world at the Miami Open by defeating multiple top-5 players and Grand Slam champions, which was also a first for any Filipino athlete.
Her journey to international prominence began with her 2022 triumph at the US Open Juniors, where she became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles title.
But beyond numbers and titles, Eala continues to carry her country with heart. At Wimbledon, she wore a special sampaguita-inspired hair tie which is a symbolic gift from Nike, honoring her heritage and strength.
In a now-viral post, the young star shared, “The sampaguita – the flower of my country. A reminder of where I come from – and everything that brought me here,” she wrote. “Ang sampaguita ay paalala ng aking pinanggalingan at ng kulturang lagi kong dala-dala.”
Nike echoed this sentiment, captioning their tribute to Eala: “The sampaguita is a flower that holds its own. And so does Alex Eala. A lifetime in the making. A nation behind her. The first Filipina to break onto the green.”
