Tennis sensation Alex Eala expressed surprise at the warm homecoming she received after her historic Wimbledon run.
The 21-year-old athlete landed in the Philippines on Sunday, July 12, after concluding her stellar Round-of-16 campaign on the grand grasses of the prestigious tennis tournament in London.
Alex was warmly welcomed at the arrival gates by Philippine Tennis Association (PHILTA) Secretary General John Mayor Rey Tiangco, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chair Pato Gregorio and Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino.
Music also filled the arrival area, courtesy of the Banda Kawayan ng Pilipinas, a group that performs using instruments made entirely of bamboo.
Alex was likewise welcomed by 50 young fans, student-athletes from the Navotas San Rafael Technological and Vocational High School, who enthusiastically cheered her arrival.
A video of the moment was posted by the PHILTA on Threads, where it has so far amassed 11,200 likes, 276 reposts and more than 100 comments.
“Is this really all for me?” the tennis player asked upon seeing the welcome messages displayed on the massive LED screen in the arrivals lobby. “Oh my God.”
“Yes, @alex.eala… it really is. Welcome home, Alex Eala. Mabuhay ka!” PHILTA wrote in its post, accompanied by a heart emoji.
View on Threads
Some Filipinos also shared their reactions to her response in the comments section.
“Alex! That’s really for you! You deserved the recognition,” a Threads user wrote.
“Congraaats, Alex! Guuurlll, deserve,” another commented.
“You deserve it, Alex!” a different wrote.
“Nice to see you home, Alex!” another Pinoy commented.
Alex will be in the Philippines this week for fan meet events hosted by her sponsors in celebration of her milestones with Filipino fans.
She will begin a short tour with Nike today, followed by homecoming parties hosted by BPI and Globe over the next two days.
Afterward, Alex will shift her focus to the North American hard-court swing, which officially begins with the Mubadala Citi DC Open in Washington, D.C., on July 27.
Now regarded as one of the world’s tennis poster girls, the athlete achieved a string of firsts for Philippine tennis: she became the first Filipina seeded player in Grand Slam history (No. 29), the first Filipina match-winner at Wimbledon and the first Filipina to reach the third and fourth rounds of a major tournament, respectively.
Alex also made her mark beyond Wimbledon, impressing throughout the grass-court season after winning her second career title in Birmingham and reaching the Berlin Final Four for an overall record of 12-4.
— with reports from Philstar.com/John Bryan Ulanday
READ: Paolini ends Eala’s dream run with fourth-round victory | ‘Mabuhay ka’: DOT celebrates Alex Eala’s historic Wimbledon 2026 run
