Alex Eala didn’t just make it to the semifinals in one tennis event at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games; she did so in two separate divisions after winning a pair of Round 2 matches in the Women’s Singles and Mixed Doubles on December 15 at the National Tennis Development Centre in Nonthaburi, Thailand.
Singles Debut Playing in the Quarterfinals
Alex Eala finally made her much-anticipated on-court debut, and it immediately showed why she entered the tournament as one of Team Philippines’ brightest medal hopes.
As the top seed in the field, Eala received a first-round bye and came into her opening match fresh, though not without early resistance. Leong, who previously demolished her opening-round opponent, briefly tested Eala by jumping to a 1-3 lead in the first set.
The Filipina steadied herself, adjusted her rhythm, and rattled off five straight games to flip the momentum and secure the opening set.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 1: 6-3
From there, Eala’s class and experience took over. She dictated play from the baseline, mixed consistency with timely aggression, and raced through the second set to close out the contest in straight sets.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 2: 6-1
The world No. 52 Filipina needed just under an hour to dispose of Malaysia’s Shihomi Li Xuan Leong in the women’s singles quarterfinals.
The win immediately guaranteed her at least a bronze medal, matching her women’s singles finish from the 2022 SEA Games in Vietnam.
When asked about her thoughts about the match, she told Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) Media Reporters:
“I’m very happy with the first round, it presented good challenges and I’m happy with how, wala, masaya ako sa crowd, madaming nanood. Maraming salamat sa supporta,”
It was very noticeable that the sizable crowd of Philippine supporters had turned up to watch her SEA Games debut.
Assured Bronze Medal as Alex Plays in the Singles Semifinals
The victory sent Eala into the singles semifinals, where she is set to face Thai home bet Thasaporn Naklo.
Naklo earned her spot after knocking off higher-seeded opponents earlier in the draw and represents another step up in competition for the Filipina.
For Eala, the run marks another opportunity to improve on her previous SEA Games showing. In her debut appearance in 2022, just days before turning 17, she collected three bronze medals in women’s singles, mixed doubles, and the women’s team event.
Despite her growing list of international achievements and a breakthrough year on the WTA Tour, a SEA Games gold medal has so far eluded her.
Now 20 years old and carrying the experience of multiple WTA 250 and 125 events this season, Eala is aiming to finally break through and reach the top of the podium in Bangkok.
Mixed Doubles Victory with Niño Alcantara
Eala’s work, however, was far from finished after her singles win, as just hours later, she returned to the court for the mixed doubles quarterfinals, teaming up once again with veteran Filipino campaigner Niño Alcantara.
The long-time partners showed their familiarity and composure as they battled Singapore’s Daniel Abadia and Wei Choo.
The Filipino and Filipina duo opened the match with authority, but not without resistance, as the Singaporeans matched them point for point early on. After taking a 3-1 lead, Eala and Alcantara briefly saw their advantage erased before regrouping to take the first set.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 1: 6-4
They carried that momentum into the second set, opening with an early cushion and calmly closing out the match. The win propelled them into the mixed doubles semifinals and assured Eala of at least another bronze medal, giving her two guaranteed podium finishes in a single day.
FINAL SCORE OF SET 2: 6-3
“We were just having fun. What we did in Asian Games in Hangzhou, that’s why we got the bronze, because we were just having fun, enjoying the game. We were just swinging freely,” Alcantara said of their approach.
He also reflected on his long partnership with Eala, adding, “My chemistry with Alex, it was still the same. I still know her as this baby girl in Valle Verde.”
A Familiar Tennis Tandem Still Doing Wonders
The Eala–Alcantara tandem has a history of success, having also claimed bronze medals together in the 2022 SEA Games and the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
That familiarity was evident once again as they navigated key moments against Singapore with patience and confidence.
For her part, Eala acknowledged how much she has grown since first teaming up with Alcantara on the international stage.
“[I’ve] matured both on-court and off-court so I hope that gives Kuya Nins a little bit more wiggle room. I feel very comfortable in the partnership, ’cause I’ve known him for so long,” she said.
Their semifinal matchup, scheduled for later in the week, will offer them another chance to improve on their previous bronze-medal finishes and remain in contention for gold.
Multiple Medals Secured as a Result of GREATNESS
By the end of her first full day of action, Eala had already ensured two more medals for Team Philippines, one in women’s singles and another in mixed doubles.
She also earlier picked up a bronze medal as part of the women’s team, despite not seeing action during that event.
Whether or not these two assured podium finishes would turn out to be gold medals, one thing is for sure. The country of the Philippines is now making a huge mark in the sport of tennis, and it’s not just Alex Eala who’s contributing to its success.
Still chasing her first SEA Games gold, the 20-year-old WTA125 Guadalajara Open champion is looking to cap her campaign with a result that matches her growing stature on the world stage, and her strong start suggests she is right on track.
With an upcoming singles semifinal against Naklo and a mixed doubles semifinal match playing alongside Alcantara on the horizon, the Filipina tennis star has positioned herself for a potential breakthrough performance in Bangkok.
