President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. honored Filipino tennis star Alex Eala at Malacañang, recognizing her historic rise on the global tennis stage following her breakthrough campaign at Wimbledon.
Marcos, who described himself as a fan of the 21-year-old athlete, praised Eala not only for her achievements in one of tennis’ most prestigious tournaments but also for representing the Philippines with humility and pride.
“I think, I suppose it doesn’t need repeating, but I’ll repeat it anyway. You have brought such pride to the Philippines, to the Filipinos, and not only because of your success but also because the grace with which you handle that success,” Marcos said during the ceremony.
“There’s no higher level of professional tennis than Wimbledon.”
The President also commended Eala for consistently acknowledging her Filipino roots on the international stage, saying she never misses an opportunity to tell the world she is a Filipina.
“And the other thing that I have to mention is that you never fail to remind everyone that you are a Filipina. You never fail to do that. And that’s very touching for all of us that you don’t forget the rest of us,” Marcos said.
“You always seem to give the impression that it is because you are a Filipina that you are doing so well and we sincerely agree with you.”
Eala captured international attention after upsetting then-World No. 3 Iga Świątek in the Round of 32, eliminating the defending Wimbledon champion in one of the biggest victories of her career.
Following the win, Eala reflected on how growing up in the Philippines shaped her journey to professional tennis. She also shared in a post-match press conference that boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and Olympic gold medalist Hidilyn Diaz inspired her as a young athlete, adding that she hopes to become a source of inspiration for future generations of Filipinos.
Although Eala fell short of winning the Wimbledon title, Marcos said her accomplishments have already made her a champion in the eyes of the Filipino people.
“We have found in you a champion. A champion who has made the Philippines proud, who has reminded Filipinos what a great race Filipinos are because we produce someone like you,” Marcos said.
“And that the qualities that you show the world are the best qualities of Filipinos. And for that, as president, I guess, that’s what really strikes me.”
Eala reached a career-high world ranking of No. 28 on Monday, becoming the highest-ranked Filipina in WTA history.
She now shifts her focus to the North American hard-court season, beginning with the WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open, where she is expected to face top players including Leylah Fernandez, Iva Jovic, Madison Keys, and Jasmine Paolini.
The Filipina star is also set to compete in the WTA 1000 National Bank Open before heading to the US Open, the final Grand Slam tournament of the season.
