Pole vault star EJ Obiena, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone, and TNT tactician Chot Reyes showed their support as Alex Eala became the first Filipino in the Open Era to conquer a Grand Slam champion at the WTA level.
History was made on the courts of Miami as Alex Eala shocked the tennis world, defeating World No. 5 Madison Keys in straight sets to become the first Filipino in the Open Era to take down a Grand Slam champion at the WTA level!
At just 19 years old, Eala cemented her place in Philippine sports history, becoming the first Filipino—across both the WTA and ATP tours—to achieve this feat since Eric Taino’s upset over Michael Chang in the 2003 Indianapolis Open (R64).
Her remarkable victory sent shockwaves through the sports community, drawing praise from fellow Filipino athletes across different disciplines.
Her triumph sparked a wave of support from national athletes, with Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone, and TNT tactician Coach Chot Reyes all joining in to celebrate her milestone.
EJ Obiena, who knows the weight of making history on the global stage, proudly shared her scores with the caption, “Good morning, Philippines.”
Photo (c) @ernestobienapv/Instagram
Coach Chot Reyes also hyped up the victory, posting an Instagram story that read, “Lezzgo, @alex.eala.”
Meanwhile, Coach Tim Cone made sure to give Eala a well-deserved shoutout on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “Shoutout to Alex Eala for her win over #5 in the world.”
He even reshared Alex’s post-game videos, further amplifying the momentous occasion.
Following the biggest victory of her career so far, Eala reflected on the challenges of growing up without local role models in tennis. She now hopes this milestone will pave the way for future generations.
“Growing up it was tough. You didn't have anyone from where you're from to pave the way. Of course, you had many people to look up to around the world, but I think—I hope this takes Filipino tennis to the next step,” Alex shared during her post-game interview.
With momentum on her side, the fearless Filipina now prepares for a fierce showdown against World No. 11 and former No. 2 Paula Badosa.
A victory would take her one step closer to a Miami Open quarterfinal berth—and an even bigger place in tennis history!