After making history as first Filipino to reach WTA final, Eala braces for Wimbledon face-off with defending champ

Doha, Qatar: As the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final, Alexandra Eala has brought the Philippines to the global stage of ten...

Doha, Qatar: As the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA Tour final, Alexandra Eala has brought the Philippines to the global stage of tennis. 

Eala has officially jumped to no. 56 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, 18 places higher than her previous career-high of No. 74 that she carried into the Eastbourne Open in the UK on Friday, June 27.

And despite her heart-breaking loss in the tournament's singles finals on Saturday to Maya Joint of Australia, Filipinos worldwide hailed Eala as a symbol of national pride, saying her performance represented not just an individual achievement, but a collective victory for the country.

The 20-year-old said the loss at the hands of Joint was "one of the toughest losses" of her early career. In a post on Instagram, she wrote: 

"A WTA trophy! Thank you everyone for the love. This has to be one of the toughest losses of my early career, but I firmly believe that it’s these moments that make you stronger and shape your character. Though I’m so happy with the positive week, it’s full speed ahead to @wimbledon."