Alex Eala won the Philippines’ first women’s singles tennis gold in the SEA Games in 26 years. She beat Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 6-1, 6-2, at the National Tennis Development Center in Nonthaburi, Thailand. Filipino fans cheered as Eala ruled the 33rd SEA Games event.
Eala controlled the match early and won the first set with ease. The second set was tougher as she questioned some line calls and the score was tied at 2-2. Still, she stayed calm and won four straight games to seal the victory.
In the final moments, Eala hit a strong backhand and forced an error from her opponent to finish the match. She then hugged her parents, waved the Philippine flag, and celebrated with the national team.
The 20-year-old became only the third Filipina to win SEA Games women’s singles gold, joining Pia Tamayo (1981) and Maricris Fernandez (1999). The last singles gold for the Philippines before Eala came in 2009 in the men’s event.
Eala also had a strong year on the pro tour. She reached the semifinals of the Miami Open, earned her first Grand Slam wins, captured her first WTA title in Guadalajara, and reached a career-high world ranking of No. 50. She finished the SEA Games with one gold and two bronze medals.
