Tag: Alex Eala

The magical Wimbledon run that turned Alex Eala into the toast of tennis—and gave Filipinos a fortnight of sleepless nights they happily embraced—finally met its match on Monday, as Italy's Jasmine Paolini halted the Filipina's historic charge with a 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 victory in the Round of 16.

Long before Alex Eala was toppling queens on Wimbledon's manicured lawns, she was just another little Filipino girl sprinting to the tennis courts after school—ruffled socks, light-up shoes, chubby cheeks, and dreams far too big for a country where tennis barely makes the back page.

Alex Eala's dream run at Wimbledon has united Filipinos from Centre Court to Malacañang, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. joining the swelling chorus convinced that the country's tennis trailblazer is only beginning to tap her potential.

The 21-year-old Filipina pulled off the biggest victory of her blossoming career on Saturday, stunning defending Wimbledon champion Iga Świątek, 7-6 (11-9), 6-2, to reach the Round of 16 for the first time in any Grand Slam.

The Department of Tourism (DOT) is turning to the country's biggest pop phenomenon to give Philippine tourism a fresh rhythm, naming P-pop sensation BINI as its newest tourism ambassadors.