Now expected to break into the WTA Top 100, Alex Eala's sensational Miami Open run could be the spark to light up a tennis frenzy in the Philippines.
If someone were to ask me “what do I think of Alex Eala,” I would have to go back during the final stretches of her women’s singles semifinal match against Jessica Pegula at the 2025 Miami Open.
Down 30-40 and facing a match point, Alex Eala showed what resilience and heart were all about. Instead of keeping her head down and giving the match away to the world no. 4 after a grueling encounter, she instead turned around and faced the crowd, raising both her arms as if telling them to cheer her on and give her one final push.
When others would simply accept fate when faced with inevitable defeat, Eala the opposite and refused to just lose. This Alex Eala is gritty.
That “laban, puso” persona was evident throughout the fortnight as she repeatedly defeated former Grand Slam champions in impressive fashion, winning over Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek, all in straight sets.
This level of determination is what makes her recent achievements so special, and so unprecedented for a Filipino tennis player.
While we celebrated the successes of Cecil Mamiit, Eric Taino, Treat Huey, and Francis Casey Alcantara, none have captured the nation's attention in the same way as Alex's run in the Miami Open.
This love match between Alex and the Filipino people has sparked a new era of tennis enthusiasm in the Philippines. Eala’s powerful forehand and calculated net play allowed her to dominate her opponents regardless of ranking, and in doing so she won the hearts of the watching nation.
Like a Manny Pacquiao fight, that semifinals against Pegula match was a primetime TV spectacle. Loud Pinoy cheers were heard across Hard Rock stadium in Miami, with images of the Philippine flag being proudly waved whenever
Alex Eala hit a backhand passing shot for a winner.
Miami certainly felt like home for Alex, as even non-Filipinos adored her net play, aggressive shotmaking, and that occasional “vamos!” as evidenced from her time at hte Rafael Nadal Academy.
As the spring hardcourt season draws to a close, Alex Eala's year looks promising. Eala’s journey will now take her to the clay courts of Europe, to the grass of England, and back to the hardcourts of North America.
I believe that her experience with the Mallorcan clay courts at Nadal’s Academy would bode her well. She won her very first WTA 1000 match in Madrid last year, giving us a glimpse that she can be successful on clay. It would be nice to see how she would measure up against the greats in Rome and most importantly, at the famed clay courts of Roland Garros in Paris.
From practice courts to main stadiums, the Filipino flag will proudly wave, celebrating every groundstroke pounding on every opponent. As Alex ends each match with a heart sign to the adoring crowd, we’re sure that the love will be given back her way, come win or crushing defeat.
Speaking on behalf of Pinoy tennis fans, we’re happy that finally, a Filipino is being recognized in a sport long dominated by Europeans and Americans.
In a country where street basketball reigns supreme, may this feat of Alex Eala bring about an interest in tennis. Filipinos can be successful swinging a racket too.
Traditionally dominated by first world nations, this sport finally represents countries like Tunisia, Puerto Rico, Kazakhstan, and now, the Philippines. Thank you Alex Eala, for representing our nation.
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Jerick Baluyot is the programmatic advertising manager of MQ Digital. He is an avid tennis fan and considers Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Serena Williams as the greatest of the sport.