Eala wins gold at the SEA Games and makes history again for Philippine tennis

19.12.2025

Editorial RNA

As if the year 2025 hadn’t already been historic enough for Alexandra Eala, the Filipina tennis player has put the finishing touch on it by achieving a new milestone for Philippine tennis. The player, trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy, has been crowned champion of the 2025 SEA Games, winning the gold medal in the women’s singles event after defeating (6-1 and 6-2) Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew.

With this victory, Eala became the first Filipina tennis player to win an individual gold in the Southeast Asian Games in the last 26 years, following in the footsteps of Pia Tamayo and Maricris Fernández.

“I’m on cloud nine. Being able to bring this kind of joy to my country is something I’ve always dreamed of,” Alex confessed after the match, on the court where she once again wrote a memorable page in the history of Philippine sports.

Eala, who was also the flag bearer for the Philippines at the opening ceremony, leaves Bangkok with three medals, as, in addition to this gold, she won two bronze medals in the team competition and in mixed doubles. The player, only 20 years old, already has six medals in the SEA Games.

The triumph in the SEA Games crowns a historic 2025 for Eala. Throughout the season, she has reached the Top 50 of the WTA ranking, won the title of the Guadalajara Open (WTA 125), and was a finalist in Eastbourne. But, without a doubt, one of the most special moments came at the US Open, where she made history by becoming the first Filipina player to win a match in the main draw of a Grand Slam.

A season to remember that confirms the projection of one of the great references of current Philippine tennis.