History Served | Alex Eala Becomes First Filipino on Wimbledon’s Centre Court

July 1, 2025

Photo Credit:Glyn Kirk, AFP, via ABS-CBN News

It’s official. Alex Eala just became the first Filipino ever to play on Centre Court at Wimbledon. The 19-year-old tennis phenom from the Philippines stepped onto the sport’s most iconic stage this week and made waves, even as she faced off against defending Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejčíková. Eala came out swinging, taking the first set 6-3 before Krejčíková fought back to win the next two. But make no mistake. This wasn’t just another first-round match. This was a full-on declaration that a new generation of Filipino talent has arrived and it's coming for the crown.

Centre Court isn’t just any tennis court. It’s where legends are made. Serena. Federer. Venus. Nadal. And now, for the first time in the tournament’s 147-year history, a Filipina took her place among them. That moment alone was a massive win, not just for Eala, but for the millions of Filipinos watching from around the world. The fact that she wore a sampaguita charm on her bracelet during the match made it even more meaningful.

If you’ve been following Eala’s 2025 run, you know this Centre Court moment has been a long time coming. She’s been building serious momentum all year, starting with a breakout performance at the Miami Open back in March. She shocked fans by defeating top-ranked players like Iga Świątek and Madison Keys in back-to-back upsets. That run shot her into the top 100 WTA rankings for the first time in her career. No other Filipina had done that before.

Then came Eastbourne. In June, just before Wimbledon, Eala competed at the Rothesay International Eastbourne, a prestigious grass-court tournament in the UK that serves as a warm-up for Wimbledon. It’s one of the last major tune-ups on the tour before the Grand Slam kicks off and draws some of the world’s best players. Alex made headlines again by becoming the first Filipina to reach a WTA Tour final. She fought through tough, three-set matches and pulled off a gritty win over Varvara Gracheva to get there. For a young athlete from a country without a dominant tennis program, making it to the final of a tournament like Eastbourne wasn’t just impressive. It was monumental.

The thing about Alex is she’s not just good. She’s hungry. She plays with fire, like every forehand is for the kababayans back home. And even though she didn’t pull off the upset at Wimbledon this time, her calm, confident presence on Centre Court said it all. She belongs there.

It’s rare that a moment in sports feels this big. For Filipino Americans watching from the States, or for Gen Z fans following her rise on TikTok and Instagram, Eala’s Wimbledon debut felt like a collective win. Like visibility. Like proof that yes, we can dominate on the global stage, even in spaces where we’ve rarely been seen.

So what’s next for Eala? All eyes are now on the US Open. She’ll return to a hard court season that has already brought her international acclaim.

But even if she doesn’t take home a Grand Slam title this year, one thing’s clear. Alex Eala isn’t just chasing history. She’s rewriting it.

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