Alex Eala Earns Manny Pacquiao’s Admiration After Historic Tennis Triumph
ALEX EALA – From one Filipino sports icon to another, Manny Pacquiao honored Alex Eala after her unforgettable comeback victory that made history on the WTA Tour.
Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao praised Alex Eala after the young tennis sensation achieved another milestone in Philippine sports by winning her first-ever WTA Tour singles title at the 2026 Mubadala DC Open.
Pacquiao, widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes the Philippines has ever produced, celebrated Eala’s remarkable victory through a heartfelt social media post. He highlighted the resilience that the Filipina tennis star displayed throughout the championship match, emphasizing the fighting spirit that Filipinos are known for.
“Down in the first round pero bumangon. Yan ang puso ng Pilipino! Congrats Alex Eala, our new champion! 🇵🇭🏆🎾” Manny wrote.
His message quickly gained attention online, with many fans agreeing that Eala’s determination perfectly reflected the resilience of Filipino athletes.
“Grabeee ang puso ng Pinoy! Congrats Alex,” one fan wrote.
“Champ recognizes champ,” another fan posted.
Eala earned the biggest title of her professional career after defeating world No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the United States in a thrilling championship match. Despite dropping the opening set, the 21-year-old Filipina mounted a dominant comeback to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, securing her maiden WTA singles championship.
The victory also placed her in Philippine sports history as the first Filipino tennis player to capture a WTA Tour singles title, further cementing her status as one of the country’s brightest international stars.
Following her historic achievement, Eala shared how the overwhelming support from family, friends, and fans gave her confidence before stepping onto the court for the final.
“Before the final yesterday, I got so many messages, sweet messages from my family and my friends who are on tour, wherever else in the world. I thought to myself, I feel so much love,” Alexa said in her post-match interview.
“So standing here in the middle of all this love, my first chance at a title, knowing that it won’t be my last, and already having achieved this feat and this milestone for my career, I knew that whatever would have happened after this match, it would have already been a win for me,” she added.
Eala also thanked the Filipino community both in Washington, D.C., and around the globe for their unwavering support.
“Thank you to all my supporters especially the Filipino community here in DC and back home, and wherever you are in the world… I feel all the love. Maraming, maraming salamat mga kababayan,” she remarked.
Following her breakthrough triumph, Eala climbed into the world’s top 20 in the latest women’s singles rankings, another significant milestone that reflects her rapid rise in international tennis and signals an even brighter future for Philippine tennis.
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