Alex Eala greeted with hero's welcome in Manila return

A welcome befitting a hero greeted Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala upon her arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 on Sunday, July 12, following her historic run at the 2026 Wimbledon Championships.

No less than Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick “Pato” Gregorio and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino as well as officials from the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) served as the welcome party for the 21-year-old Filipina, who was also warmly received by local fans and aspiring young athletes.

Eala is set to appear in several brand and sponsor engagements in the next few days before holding her own meet-and-greet for the fans on Wednesday, July 15, at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City.

Eala’s homecoming came on the heels of her breakthrough campaign in the Wimbledon where she not only became the first Filipina to be seeded in a Grand Slam tournament but also the first homegrown player to ever make it to the fourth round in the Open Era.

She opened her campaign with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory over Mexico's Renata Zarazua before overcoming Australia's Maya Joint, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0, in the second round.

The highlight of her Wimbledon campaign came in the third round where she pulled off the biggest win of her career, upsetting defending champion and world No. 3 Iga Swiatek, 7-6 (9), 6-2 for her seventh win over a Top 10 opponent.

Eala's fairytale run came to an end after a gritty three-set loss to world No. 13 Jasmine Paolini, 4-6, 6-4, 3-6, in the fourth round.

Still, it was an outstanding grass-court run for Eala as aside from her deep run in the Wimbledon, she also captured the WTA 125 title in Birmingham and reached the semifinals of the Berlin Open where she also defeated Top 10 players Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina along the way.

After a short break at home, Eala is set to return to the United States to begin her hard-court campaign in the lead up to the US Open in August.

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