By Charles Maduka
Alexandra Eala is continuing to make history at Wimbledon, with the 21-year-old carrying the hopes of the Philippines as she prepares to face defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.
The Filipino star wears a special message on the back of her white visor that reads, “Kapag lumago, hindi na hihinto,” which translates to, “Once it grows, it cannot be stopped.”
On Saturday, Eala will step onto Centre Court for another historic moment as she becomes the first Filipino player to reach the third round of a Grand Slam at Wimbledon. With a population of about 110 million people, the Philippines has had little presence in world tennis until Eala’s remarkable rise.
“It sounds super impactful,” Eala said. “It’s an amazing thing for me to be able to do that for my country, but I guess it’s also very emotional every time I’m able to pass a new step or break new ground, just because it’s also personal goals and personal achievements. It’s things that I have been working really hard for. It’s things that my team has been working really hard for. I really appreciate that I’m able to share this with the nation, but I think first and foremost it makes me super proud because of the work that I’ve put in.”
Eala’s rapid rise has made her a national star, with tennis gaining fresh attention across the Philippines. Her breakthrough came at the 2025 Miami Open when, as a 19-year-old wildcard ranked 140th in the world, she stunned Swiatek on her way to the semi-finals.
Her growing popularity has attracted passionate support from Filipino fans wherever she competes. At this year’s Australian Open, long queues formed as supporters waited to watch her play on one of the tournament’s smaller courts due to overwhelming demand.
At Wimbledon, many of her supporters have spent the night in the famous Queue to secure seats for her matches. Entering the tournament as the 29th seed, Eala became the first Filipino player to be seeded at a Grand Slam. She then defeated Renata Zarazua 6-1, 6-2 to become the first player from the Philippines to win a main-draw match at Wimbledon before coming from a set down to beat Maya Joint 3-6, 6-2, 6-0 in the second round.
Grass has suited Eala’s left-handed style, with her sliced shots and low-bouncing groundstrokes causing problems for opponents. This season, she has already recorded impressive wins over Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina and Donna Vekic on the surface.
Swiatek, meanwhile, admitted she is still searching for her best form despite returning to Wimbledon as defending champion. “Even though I won, I still feel like I have stuff to figure out,” she said. “It’s not going to be smooth because of last year.”
The Polish star also acknowledged the challenge Eala presents. “She has a tricky game,” Swiatek said. “I can assume that on grass it’s even more tricky because of the surface.”
Although this is Eala’s first appearance in the third round of a Grand Slam, she already has Centre Court experience. Last year, she faced defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in her tournament debut, winning the opening set before losing in three sets.
Now back with another year of experience and improved results, Eala hopes to continue her dream run while representing her country on one of tennis’ biggest stages.
“This is my journey, I’m happy to be able to share it with everyone who wants to take part,” Eala said. “For me to be able to represent the Philippines in Wimbledon and in the biggest stages in the world, it means so much.”
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