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Filipino tennis star Alex Eala answers questions and interacts with fans during a fan meet at Nike The Fort on Monday, July 13, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala answers questions and interacts with fans during a fan meet at Nike The Fort on Monday, July 13, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

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Dyan Castillejo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178419046724620260713-alex-eala-nike-meet-greet-JC8.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/>Filipino tennis star Alex Eala answers questions and interacts with fans during a fan meet at Nike The Fort on Monday, July 13, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News</div>MANILA -- Fresh off her historic Wimbledon run and still riding the wave of her homecoming event at Glorietta hosted by a telecommunications company, World No. 28 Alex Eala is already looking ahead with excitement for the US Open in her sights.“My focus right now is to prep for the US Open. Some good tournaments. And I have yet to reconvene with my team,” she said. “I’m sure next week we will have a good meeting, and maybe set some more goals after that.”To those who know Eala, her composure under pressure comes as no surprise. When asked whether her mother had passed her trademark calmness on to her, Eala did not hesitate.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/7/15/young-filipino-tennis-players-drawing-inspiration-from-alex-eala-1439">READ: Young Filipino tennis players drawing inspiration from Alex Eala </a></div>“She’s definitely passed a lot of good things on to me. So maybe that’s one of them, yes,” she said with a smile.On her “laban” spirit, she said it really is rooted in her character. “I’ve been a competitor my whole life. And I’m so passionate about tennis. I’ve worked so hard for everything that I have so never say die.”This character has now taken her the Centre Court of Wimbledon and into the world’s top 30.Off the court, Eala has built a circle on tour that keeps her grounded.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/7/16/eala-may-be-first-southeast-asian-to-win-grand-slam-title-singapore-pm-1421">READ: Singapore PM tells Marcos: Eala may be first Southeast Asian to bring home Grand Slam </a></div>Asked what she would do if her tour friends ever came to Manila, her answer was immediate. “Of course, papakain (ng Filipino food). I’ll feed them at home. They will see my house,” she said laughing. “I cannot imagine all the fans that would come around. But I love the girls that I have on tour. They keep me sane.”And then there is the community waiting for her every time she comes home: fans who flew in from Mindanao, from abroad, from Naga City, and even London during her homecoming.Eala described that support in the most Filipino way possible.“I would describe it as community,” she said. “I think we, as Filipinos, we are a community that uplifts each other. We are a community that is proud when someone else does well. And so, we can take inspiration from other Filipinos because we have a shared love for our nation. We have a shared love for our culture. And I think that’s very beautiful. She heads to Washington DC next for the Mubadala DC Open, the first stop of her North American hard-court swing, before tournaments in Toronto and Cincinnati ahead of the US Open.

Fresh off her historic Wimbledon run and still riding the wave of her homecoming event at Glorietta hosted by a telecommunications company, World No. 28 Alex Eala already looking ahead with excitement for the US Open in her sights.

Fresh off her historic Wimbledon run and still riding the wave of her homecoming event at Glorietta hosted by a telecommunications company, World No. 28 Alex Eala already looking ahead with excitement for the US Open in her sights.

Alex Eala looks ahead to US Open as Manila homecoming reminds her of ‘laban’ spirit

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Alex Eala looks ahead to US Open as Manila homecoming reminds her of ‘laban’ spirit

Dyan Castillejo,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 16, 2026 04:32 PM PHT

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