Geolette Marie Esguerra

Article (news)

Alex Eala Post Wimbledon

<p>Thanks to her historic run at this year’s Wimbledon, pro tennis player<strong> </strong><a href="https://metro.style/search?q=Alex%20eala#gsc.tab=0&amp;gsc.q=Alex%20eala&amp;gsc.page=1" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><strong>Alex Eala</strong></a> has endeared herself to Filipinos all over the world, becoming a shining beacon of possibility, grit, and dedication. When I say historic, I refer to Philippine sports history, as <a href="https://metro.style/culture/2026/7/5/alex-eala-wimbledon-2026-historic-win-at-centre-court-r16-1700" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">she is the first Filipino to reach the Round of 16 </a>at this most prestigious of tournaments. While she survived the first round of the 2025 US Open, it was at Wimbledon that she took two more &quot;giant&quot; steps, even toppling the defending champion in the third round—her second career win over <strong>Iga Swiatek</strong>.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-0" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DaO5I_NEjal/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=916&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A3170168.599999994%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="903" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-0" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>While she came up short against <strong>Jasmine Paolini</strong> in their Round of 16 contest, we saw her take the second set with resolve, refusing to surrender after losing the first. To put this in context, only two other ASEAN tennis players have reached the quarterfinals: Indonesia’s <strong>Yayuk Basuki</strong> in 1997 and Thailand’s <strong>Tamarine Tanasugarn</strong> in 2008, both of whom achieved career-high rankings of World No. 19. Post-Wimbledon, Alex Eala is expected to be ranked No. 28, her best since turning pro.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-2" src="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DaYBtZRsOqA/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=916&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A3237785.599999994%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="866" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-2" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>Among the ASEAN women who suited up in white for this year’s Wimbledon, she alone reached the fourth round, defeating <strong>Renata Zarazúa</strong>, <strong>Maya Joint</strong>, and Swiatek. Thai <strong>Mananchaya Sawangkaew</strong> reached Round 3, having defeated No. 20 seed Maja Chwalińska and <strong>Alycia Parks</strong>. Fellow Thai <strong>Lanlana Tararudee</strong> reached Round 2, as did Indonesia’s <strong>Janice Tjen</strong> after an upset victory over No. 22 seed Leylah Fernandez.</p><div><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F849089844694461%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br/></div><p>We all loved how, after the Swiatek upset, the official Wimbledon Facebook page released a video featuring the <strong>Figvres</strong> hit song &quot;Yakap&quot; as its soundtrack. It was the perfect choice to showcase Alex’s match point and post-match reaction with a song sung in Filipino. That had to be a first for the Wimbledon page, and I’d love to know the story behind that choice—specifically, who introduced the administrators to that song.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783845730797For the girls with ruffled socks, light up shoes and chubby cheeks💕 (3).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">From Alex Eala&#x27;s Instagram account</span></span></span></div><p>There are many great memories to take from the Wimbledon fortnight. I’m happy Alex is enjoying a short break before joining a tournament in Washington that starts on July 26. This will kick off her hard-court season preparations leading up to the <strong>US Open</strong> in Flushing Meadows, New York, in late August.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>A closer look at the Eala phenomenon<br/></strong></div><p>I’ve been advised to be careful with my choice of words here. There are three aspects of the Alex Eala phenomenon that I take exception to; while they stem from the enthusiasm we share for her rise, I find they do a disservice to her, our appreciation of her accomplishments, and the sport of tennis in general.</p><p>The first is the resort to hyperbole in hyping her career. Without checking readily available research, some make exaggerated claims about the young star. For example, her <strong>WTA 125</strong> wins at <strong>Guadalajara</strong> and <strong>Birmingham</strong> are often cited as <strong>WTA Tour </strong>wins, when the 125 level is equivalent to the Challenger circuit and not officially considered WTA Tour titles.</p><p>Then there are those calling her the most popular tennis player in the world today. While the strong Filipino social media presence makes her a viral darling, with the likes of <strong>Jannik Sinner</strong>, <strong>Carlos Alcaraz</strong>, and N<strong>ovak Djokovic</strong> still active, it is doubtful she is the world&#x27;s most popular player.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1783845844148For the girls with ruffled socks, light up shoes and chubby cheeks💕 (5).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner">From Alex Eala&#x27;s Instagram account</span></span></span></div><p>I’ve previously compared Alex to <strong>Anna Kournikova</strong>, praying she doesn’t share a similar fate. While Kournikova reached No. 8 in the world, her career singles titles totaled zero. She enjoyed success in doubles but is now remembered more as a celebrity than a serious athlete.</p><p>If we are talking about impact and carrying the fortunes of a nation, I’d look to India’s <strong>Sania Mirza </strong>as a better peg for Alex. Mirza turned pro in 2003, and while her highest singles ranking was No. 27, she was a former doubles world No. 1 with six major titles. The Indian diaspora followed her every move—much like we do with Alex. Mirza was named one of Time’s &quot;50 Heroes of Asia&quot; and served as a UN Women’s Goodwill Ambassador. Listening to Alex in her interviews, I’d venture to say that being taken seriously and considered a positive force are more what Alex would like to achieve in her lifetime. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>The trap of hyperbole</strong></div><p>The second aspect is the media coverage, which often feels more like a cult of personality than reporting on the sport. Has anyone even covered the men’s side of Wimbledon? There is so much happening for true sports fans, but Nada (not Nadal) in our sports sections. Observe how, the moment Eala is eliminated, the coverage of the tournament simply stops. I understand the sentiment, but even as Alex stops participating, Wimbledon still continues.</p><p>Watching the live comments during the Eala-Paolini match, I was surprised to see how many people remain bewildered by the scoring system. Many want to &quot;belong&quot; to the Eala frenzy without trying to understand the sport itself. That understanding won&#x27;t happen if the media doesn&#x27;t take the responsibility to educate. If the focus is only on Alex and not the sport, what can we expect? And please, let&#x27;s stop obsessing over her prize money—it&#x27;s quite crass.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>The state of sports media</strong></div><p>The third aspect that scares me is the proliferation of Facebook pages dedicated to Alex that are actually repositories of fake news. They are clever; they occasionally post real news and credit credible sources, but their primary goal is engagement to monetize followers. They frame real news with clickbait headlines designed to bait her avid fans.</p><p>Stories about her being &quot;picked on&quot; by the tennis establishment, how she’s been honored by this or that award-giving body, her charitable works, or her public impact as she’s able to silence an entire room. They’re all too formulaic, yet I see many people who should know better reposting them. It’s similar to how political troll farms operate—telling the audience exactly what they want to hear to gain traction. We must be vigilant, as social media lacks real controls or self-policing.</p><div><br/></div><div><iframe class="instagram-media instagram-media-rendered" id="instagram-embed-4" src="https://www.instagram.com/p/DarukiQCNLp/embed/captioned/?cr=1&amp;v=14&amp;wp=916&amp;rd=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com&amp;rp=%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A4113334.099999994%7D" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" frameBorder="0" height="702" data-instgrm-payload-id="instagram-media-payload-4" scrolling="no" style="background:white;max-width:540px;width:calc(100% - 2px);border-radius:3px;border:1px solid rgb(219, 219, 219);box-shadow:none;display:block;margin:0px 0px 12px;min-width:326px;padding:0px"></iframe></div><script async="" src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script><div><br/></div><p>In the final frame, there is Alex Eala. She is, without doubt, a national treasure. For a nation searching for validation, she is the real thing, and we are blessed to witness her accomplishments. She truly takes us to Wonderland.</p>

<p>Alex Eala’s historic Wimbledon run has captivated the Philippines, but the Eala Fever comes with pitfalls. Philip Cu-Unjieng gives a clear-eyed look at the hype, media coverage, and the need for accurate sports reporting</p>

Alex Eala’s historic Wimbledon run has captivated the Philippines, but the Eala Fever comes with pitfalls. Philip Cu-Unjieng gives a clear-eyed look at the hype, media coverage, and the need for accurate sports reporting

Alex In Wonderland: A Clear-Eyed View of the Eala Phenomenon

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Alex In Wonderland: A Clear-Eyed View of the Eala Phenomenon

Philip Cu-Unjieng

Published July 11, 2026 06:00 PM PHT

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Updated July 12, 2026 04:56 PM PHT

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