Camille Naredo

Filipino tennis star Alex Eala at the WTA 125 Philippine Women's Open, January 29, 2026 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File

Colombian tennis player Camila Osorio face Alex Eala in the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open quarterfinals at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center in Manila on January 29, 2026. A major crowd drawer, Eala failed to reach the semifinals after losing to Osorio (4-6, 4-6). Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

WTA125-PH OPEN QUARTERFINALS- OSORIO vs EALA

Dyan Castillejo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177614342268620260129-w125-ph-quarterfinals-eala-vs-osorio-JC-35.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" alt="Filipino tennis star Alex Eala at the WTA 125 Philippine Women&#x27;s Open, January 29, 2026 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File" width="960"/>Filipino tennis star Alex Eala at the WTA 125 Philippine Women&#x27;s Open, January 29, 2026 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</div>MANILA -- For Filipina tennis star Alex Eala, competing at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a moment to remember.Eala will face off against Leylah Fernandez in the first round at Stuttgart, with their showdown scheduled as the third match on Center Court -- not before 11:00 p.m. in Manila.&quot;This tournament is actually a tournament I&#x27;ve seen so much online,&quot; Eala said in an <a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.wtatennis.com/news/4486674/alex-eala-stuttgart-a-sit-down-embracing-stardom-filipino-passion-and-more">interview with the WTA in Stuttgart</a>. &quot;It&#x27;s crazy when you&#x27;re able to see something like on TV a lot, and you&#x27;re able to see it in person — it finishes the puzzle. It&#x27;s obviously a very prestigious tournament.&quot;In the interview, Eala highlighted the importance of staying grounded amid the demands of professional tennis, especially as she navigates her first full season on tour.<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/4/11/tennis-alex-eala-to-play-leylah-fernandez-in-first-round-at-stuttgart-2300">READ: Alex Eala to play Leylah Fernandez in first round at Stuttgart</a></div>&quot;At this level, it does come with its struggles. Don&#x27; get me wrong. It&#x27;s a demanding job,&quot; she said. &quot;But of course you&#x27;re treated very well. Especially in individual sports, a lot of things are catered to you — and they have to be, because that&#x27;s how you succeed.&quot;With growing attention from both media and fans, Eala acknowledged that the spotlight can sometimes be overwhelming.&quot;In my case, there&#x27;s a lot of attention — a lot from the media, a lot of exposure to the fans. I think sometimes it&#x27;s a lot,&quot; she said. &quot;And if you don&#x27; have that ‘spoonful of gratitude,&#x27; or guidance, or a clear idea of who you are, you can get lost in all these things.&quot;Through it all, the 20-year-old remains proud of her identity and the opportunity to represent the Philippines on the global stage.&quot;Being loud and proud, especially when it comes to cultures, is so important,&quot; Eala said. &quot;Us Filipinos — there are very few nationalities that I see are as loud and proud as us.&quot;&quot;There are just so many of us that I think it should be celebrated, that there&#x27;s someone who&#x27;s on the world stage representing the Philippines. I&#x27;m very proud to be able to do that for my country.&quot;Despite embracing that role, Eala is quick to stress the importance of balance — particularly as she navigates her rookie year on tour.&quot;I&#x27;m focused when I need to be focused. I&#x27;m very professional,&quot; she said. &quot;It&#x27;s my first year on tour, but I feel I&#x27;m able to handle these things really well. I know that if I don&#x27; put in the work, everything else won&#x27; follow.&quot;<div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/4/13/alex-eala-s-autograph-is-most-wanted-at-porsche-village-1354">READ: Alex Eala&#x27;s autograph is &#x27;most wanted&#x27; at Porsche Village</a></div>Eala also remains cognizant of her role as a trailblazer in her sport, with her impact clearly seen when Manila hosted the WTA 125 Philippine Women&#x27;s Open earlier this year. It was the first time that a tournament of that level was held in the country.&quot;It was very emotional just because for me to be able to influence this in some capacity means so much to me,&quot; she said. &quot;Growing up, there were never those opportunities locally. You&#x27;d always have to venture out and find it — also hence why I ventured out and found my opportunities when they arose.&quot;Eala, who has spent years training and competing abroad, believes that bringing a professional tournament to Manila offers something she never had growing up — visibility and access.&quot;I think it&#x27;s a great platform or great stepping stone for the women, and athletes in general in the Philippines,&quot; she added. &quot;They&#x27;re able to see the level first and they&#x27;re able to experience it.&quot;The young Filipina also expressed hope that the Manila event could continue to grow and inspire the next generation of players.&quot;With the 125, who knows, maybe that event will keep growing. It could be a goal for Filipina tennis players — a realistic and professional goal — to be able to play in a WTA event at home,&quot; she said.

For Filipina tennis star Alex Eala, competing at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a moment to remember.

For Filipina tennis star Alex Eala, competing at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix is a moment to remember.

Tennis: Alex Eala excited for Stuttgart debut -- 'A very prestigious tournament'

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Tennis: Alex Eala excited for Stuttgart debut -- 'A very prestigious tournament'

Dyan Castillejo,

ABS-CBN News

Published April 14, 2026 01:23 PM PHT

Read More:

tennis

Alex Eala

Leylah Fernandez

Porsche Tennis Grand Prix

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