LONDON: Despite falling short of reaching the quarterfinals, Alex Eala still made a lasting impact at Wimbledon.
The 21-year-old Filipina had ousted defending champion Iga Swiatek but couldn’t solve Jasmine Paolini on Monday (July 6), losing 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 on Centre Court.
For Filipino fans — both at watch parties back home and at the All England Club — it’s not always about wins and losses.
“She’s like a ray of hope for the Philippines,” fan Roberto Ocampo Jr. said Monday at Wimbledon. “Especially at her age. She made history. That’s one thing that we can tell to the next generation.”
Eala, who lost in the first round a year ago in her Wimbledon debut, became the first player from the Philippines to reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam singles tournament in the Open era, the women’s professional tour said.
“Setting foot here is already a big achievement,” said Ocampo, a London-based nurse.
The left-handed Eala talked this week about Filipino pride and being a role model for kids back home. But she also made it clear that she has big plans for her tennis career.
In dissecting her loss to Paolini, she pointed to problems with her serve.
“But I have days like that. Everyone has days where they don’t play their best tennis,” said Eala, who trained at the Rafael Nadal Tennis Academy in Spain as a teenager. “I understand that’s part of the job. I don’t think I’m going to be playing the best tennis of my life every single day.
“With that being said,” she added, “I’m really proud of how I handled things. I just have to kind of move forward and continue with my progress.”
Eala, who made a breakthrough in March 2025 by reaching the Miami Open semifinals, has elevated her stardom at Wimbledon, both on and off the court.
Eala met Kate, the princess of Wales, and took a photo with her. A photo of Eala diving for a ball in the match against Swiatek also has made the rounds, with edits showing Eala wearing a cape and “Superwoman” outfit.
The Philippines Embassy in Britain has tracked her progress and posted congratulatory notes.
Filipinos love their sports stars
Eala spoke earlier in the tournament about her childhood memories of boxing great Manny Pacquiao.
“When he would have fights, it would really be like holidays in the Philippines,” she said. “We would gather and we would watch his fights. People would go off work. It would really be an event. He is someone super-inspiring as an athlete.”
Filipino Olympic champions are treated as national heroes. Gymnast Carlos Yulo, who won two gold medals in the Paris Olympics, returned home to pledges of cash and gifts, including a house. Eala also cited champion weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz.
And now there’s Eala.
Ocampo, the tennis fan at Wimbledon, hopes that Eala’s success leads to more opportunities in the Philippines.
“This kind of sport (many) are not privileged enough to hold a tennis racket,” he said. “There’s so many kids back home, they have the talent. They need the opportunity.” - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
