Camille Naredo

Philippines' Alexandra Eala celebrates winning the first set against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles third round tennis match on the sixth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 4, 2026.

Philippines' Alexandra Eala celebrates winning the first set against Poland's Iga Swiatek during their women's singles third round tennis match on the sixth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 4, 2026. (Photo by Henry NICHOLLS / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE

Article (news)

Wimbledon

<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/1787127769165AFP__20260704__B99H9NP__v1__MidRes__TennisGbrWimbledon_Original.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960" alt="Philippines&#x27; Alexandra Eala celebrates winning the first set against Poland&#x27;s Iga Swiatek during their women&#x27;s singles third round tennis match on the sixth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 4, 2026. Henry Nicholls, AFP"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Philippines&#x27; Alexandra Eala celebrates winning the first set against Poland&#x27;s Iga Swiatek during their women&#x27;s singles third round tennis match on the sixth day of the 2026 Wimbledon Championships at The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, southwest London, on July 4, 2026. <em>Henry Nicholls, AFP</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Alex Eala may not have the biggest serve on the tour, but Filipino fans have found a way to turn one of her more unconventional weapons into an internet favorite.</p><p>Enter: &quot;Fookelya serve.&quot;</p><p>Coined by Filipino fans online, the slang describes Eala&#x27;s serve when it looks slower than usual but somehow continues to get the job done.</p><p>The term has become a playful meme among Pinoy tennis fans, particularly when Eala sends over one of her deceptively soft serves that frustrates her opponents into a poor return.</p><p>But behind the joke is a serving strategy built on variation rather than sheer power.</p><div><a class="fr-strong fr-green" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/sports/othersports/2026/8/14/former-world-no-1-andy-roddick-chimes-in-why-alex-eala-can-get-away-with-her-slow-serve-1701">READ: Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick chimes in why Alex Eala can &#x27;get away&#x27; with her slow serve</a></div><p>Eala frequently changes the pace and placement of her first and second serves, with her wide serve from the left side proving especially tricky for the right-handed opponents she has faced recently.</p><p>The variation can disrupt an opponent&#x27;s rhythm, particularly against players unfamiliar with Eala&#x27;s tempo.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:441px;height:441px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2083667033468682526&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-08-19T09%3A18%3A57.592563%3Ad8270c4a-49b0-434c-9d58-803b78d9f3cc%26action%3Dcorrect&amp;sessionId=f90d7e803ec1e51cb361b177a0acce9625e578db&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2083667033468682526"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>At Wimbledon, Eala&#x27;s first serve averaged 86.3 mph (138.9 kph), well below the typical 100-105 mph (160.9-169.0 kph) range for first serves. Her second serve averaged 75.8 mph (122.0 kph), also below the usual 85-90 mph (136.8-144.8 kph) range.</p><p>Still, the slower numbers do not tell the entire story.</p><p>Eala has leaned on placement, spin, variation and timing to make up for the lack of outright pace. It is a smart use of experience rather than an attempt to hide a weakness.</p><p>For Filipino fans, however, the unconventional pace has become part of the fun.</p><p>While Filipinos immediately understand the joke behind &quot;Fookelya,&quot; international tennis followers may be left wondering what the term means, and that confusion has only helped fuel the meme.</p><p>It is another example of Pinoy sports fans creating their own language around a favorite athlete, much like basketball fans have done with terms such as &quot;Pinoy Step.&quot;</p><p>The serve may look slow. The joke, however, is serving just fine.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:560px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:441px;height:243px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2085180924468318512&amp;lang=en&amp;maxWidth=560px&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-08-19T09%3A18%3A57.592563%3Ad8270c4a-49b0-434c-9d58-803b78d9f3cc%26action%3Dcorrect&amp;sessionId=f90d7e803ec1e51cb361b177a0acce9625e578db&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2085180924468318512"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>The rank no. 20 Eala now sets her sights on the US Open, where she will look to make another deep run on the Grand Slam stage before turning her attention to the Asian swing.</p>

<p>Alex Eala may not have the biggest serve on the tour, but Filipino fans have found a way to turn one of her more unconventional weapons into an internet favorite.</p>

Alex Eala may not have the biggest serve on the tour, but Filipino fans have found a way to turn one of her more unconventional weapons into an internet favorite.

'Fookelya serve': Filipinos turn Alex Eala's second serve into viral meme

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

BINI

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Sports

'Fookelya serve': Filipinos turn Alex Eala's second serve into viral meme

Kurt Mandigma,

ABS-CBN News Digital Intern

Published August 19, 2026 04:30 PM PHT

|

Updated August 20, 2026 09:14 AM PHT

Read More:

tennis

Alex Eala

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

ABS-CBN Newsletter

Your go-to source for the latest news, entertainment highlights, exclusive interviews, and updates on your favorite Kapamilya stars.

Sign Up

I have read and agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy.

Haven't received our newsletter?

Check your inbox to verify and confirm your subscription.

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.