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Rising Philippine tennis star Alex Eala emotional after historic Wimbledon win
Eala made history for the Philippines by becoming the first player from the Southeast Asian nation to reach the third round of a Grand Slam in the Open era
- PUBLISHED: Sat 4 Jul 2026, 10:20 PM UPDATED: Sun 5 Jul 2026, 10:19 AM
Alexandra Eala continued the dream run of her young career by pulling off the biggest win of her Wimbledon campaign, stunning defending champion Iga Swiatek to become the first Filipino to reach the fourth round (last 16) of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon.
Fighting back tears after the match, the 20-year-old reflected on the remarkable journey that had brought her to this historic moment.
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"I don't know how to describe it," Eala said. "I'm in the second week of a Grand Slam, and it's amazing for me. Iga is a phenomenal player and such a nice person, so I'm grateful I had the chance to share Centre Court with her."
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She then recalled her childhood in the Philippines, saying that while reaching the last 16 may seem like a modest achievement to multiple Grand Slam champions like Serena or Venus, it means everything to her.
"I went to training every day after school with my brother and grandfather, wearing my ruffled socks, light-up shoes and chubby cheeks," she said. "To that little girl, this is everything."
Despite the historic milestone, Eala made it clear she is not satisfied.
"Just because I'm emotional doesn't mean I'm satisfied," she said. "Okay, next round. Let's go."
Watch the emotional video here:
"With my ruffled socks, light-up trainers and chubby cheeks!"
— Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 4, 2026
Alexandra Ealaâs post-match interview is everything 𫶠ðµð pic.twitter.com/pEOTRfmOPB
'Honour of my life to be able to inspire others'
Eala also reflected on becoming a role model for young girls, saying it would be the greatest honour of her life to inspire others.
"It's an honour to be able to pave the way for young girls," she said. "It would be the honour of my life to inspire others because inspiration is such a beautiful thing."
However, she said she hopes young people are encouraged to forge their own paths rather than follow in her footsteps.
"I don't want them to look at me and say, 'I want to be the next Alex Eala.' I want them to look at me and say, 'I want to be the first me.'"
The left-hander, who had won just one Grand Slam main-draw match before this week, will face former Wimbledon runner-up Jasmine Paolini in the fourth round on Monday.
(Inputs from Reuters)
