Photo credit: POC

Alex Eala once again proved why she is the pride of Philippine tennis after winning the gold medal in women’s singles at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games.

Living up to her status as the tournament’s top seed, the WTA world No. 53 delivered a commanding performance against Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew on center court. Eala wasted no time asserting control, cruising through the opening set, 6–1.

Sawangkaew attempted to mount a comeback in the second set, briefly leveling the score at 2–2, but Eala quickly raised her intensity. She dominated the closing games to seal a 6–2 win, securing the match in straight sets and adding another milestone to her growing career.

With the victory, Eala became only the third Filipina to capture the SEA Games women’s singles tennis gold, joining Pia Tamayo, who won in the 1981 Manila Games, and Maricris Fernandez, the champion in the 1999 Brunei edition.

The historic moment was witnessed by Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino, along with hundreds of Filipino fans based in Thailand. Their vocal support filled the arena and helped neutralize the home-court advantage of the Thai crowd.

Eala’s triumph not only adds to the Philippines’ medal tally but also reinforces her position as one of the country’s brightest stars on the international tennis stage.

𝙂𝒂𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝒂𝙮 𝙞𝙡𝒂𝙗𝒂𝙨, 𝙜𝒂𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙨! 🇵🇭