Alex Eala won the gold medal in the women’s tennis singles event of the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in the National Tennis Development Center in Nonthaburi, Thailand, after defeating Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew on the afternoon of December 18.
Authority From the Opening Games
Eala wasted little time asserting control in the finals match.
From the opening exchanges, her superior movement, solid serving, and precise shot selection immediately placed Sawangkaew under pressure. She broke serve early and surged to a 3-0 lead, setting the tone for a lopsided opening set.
Despite brief resistance from the Thai crowd favorite, Eala remained unfazed.
She dictated rallies with depth and variety, mixing in well-timed drop shots that repeatedly caught her opponent off balance. The opening set slipped away quickly for Sawangkaew, with Eala cruising to a convincing set one win.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 1: 6-1
The scoreline reflected not just dominance, but composure. Even when challenged by questionable line calls and a noisy home crowd, the Filipina maintained her rhythm and refused to allow external factors to disrupt her momentum.
Second-Set Test, Same Result
The second set offered a sterner challenge.
Sawangkaew found more consistency early, trading breaks with Eala and forcing a 2-2 deadlock that briefly raised hopes of a fightback. At one point, Eala voiced frustration over line calls, but she responded in the best possible way as she tightened her game.
From that moment, the top seed elevated her level. She held serve under pressure, broke the Thai in a crucial game, and then rattled off four straight games to pull away.
Sawangkaew pushed Eala to multiple deuces late in the set, but the Filipina’s patience and shot discipline ultimately prevailed.
A strong backhand winner followed by an error from Sawangkaew sealed the match, prompting Eala to pause in disbelief before celebrating one of the most meaningful wins of her young career.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 2: 6-2
Ending a 26-Year Wait With Historic SEA Games Gold
Alex Eala finally delivered the breakthrough Philippine women’s tennis had been chasing for more than two decades, ending a 26-year gold medal.
Playing in hostile territory, the 20-year-old Filipina lived up to her status as the Southeast Asia’s highest-ranked WTA player, overpowering home bet Mananchaya Sawangkaew in straight sets.
The triumph made Eala the first Filipina to claim the SEA Games women’s singles gold since Maricris Fernandez accomplished the feat in 1999.
She also became only the third Filipina overall to win the event, joining Fernandez and Pia Tamayo, who ruled the competition during the 1981 Manila Games.
More than a personal milestone, the victory marked a symbolic moment for Philippine tennis, snapping years of near misses and bronze-medal finishes.
Redemption and Maturity on Display
Beyond the gold medal, the victory carried an added layer of redemption.
Sawangkaew had beaten Eala in Japan late last year, handing the Filipina a quarterfinal loss that lingered as unfinished business.
This time, however, the gap between the two players was evident, with Eala using her experience and physicality to neutralize her opponent.
The final also highlighted Eala’s growing maturity. She showed an ability to reset after disruptions, handle pressure situations, and close out matches with authority which are the qualities that have defined her steady rise on the professional circuit.
Her performance reinforced why she entered the SEA Games as the region’s top-ranked WTA player and one of Team Philippines’ brightest medal hopes.
A Golden Chapter in a Banner SEA Games Run
The singles gold capped an impressive SEA Games campaign for Eala, who finished the tournament with three medals overall.
Prior to her historic victory, she had already secured bronze medals in the mixed doubles and women’s team events, giving her a total of six SEA Games medals across two appearances.
Eala’s journey to the final was equally convincing. She advanced after defeating Malaysia’s Shihomi Leong in the quarterfinals and Thailand’s Thasaporn Naklo in the semifinals, following a first-round bye.
Each match sharpened her form, setting the stage for her dominant showing in the final.
With the win, she improved on her SEA Games debut in 2021, where she collected three bronze medals, including one in women’s singles.
Joining an Elite List in Philippine Tennis
Eala’s gold placed her in rare company.
Only Tamayo and Fernandez had previously topped the SEA Games women’s singles podium, while the last Filipino to win any tennis singles gold before her was Cecil Mamiit, who ruled the men’s division in 2009.
Her victory also halted the recent dominance of Indonesia and Thailand in the event, which had combined for multiple titles in the years since Fernandez’s reign. By breaking that pattern, Eala restored the Philippines to the top of the SEA Games women’s tennis landscape.
The result added to Team Philippines’ growing medal haul and stood out as one of the delegation’s most significant achievements in Bangkok.
A Breakthrough Season Sealed in Gold
The SEA Games triumph served as a fitting conclusion to a breakthrough year for Eala.
In 2025, she reached new heights on the international stage, highlighted by deep runs in elite tournaments, main-draw appearances in Grand Slams, and her first WTA title at the Guadalajara 125 Open.
She also climbed to a career-high world ranking inside the top 55.
Being named one of the Philippines’ co-flagbearers at the SEA Games opening ceremony underscored her growing stature, and she backed up that honor with a performance that delivered history.
As Eala celebrated on court with the Philippine flag and shared the moment with her family and teammates, the significance of the achievement was clear.
After 26 long years, Philippine women’s tennis once again has a SEA Games singles champion and the fact that at just 20 years old, Alex Eala may only be getting started.
