Alexandra Eala capped off her monumental season on the WTA Tour by collecting her first gold medal at the 2025 SEA Games.
Eala, who is now set to take a break from tennis, defeated Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand in the final to claim the medal for the Philippines.
The 20-year-old was the favourite following her remarkable rise to the top 50 of the WTA Tour rankings this season.
She made light work of the rest of the field and she has now been sent a message by a fellow Fiipino SEA Games gold medallist.
Ruben Gonzalez sends Alexandra Eala a message
Ruben Gonzalez represented the Philippines in several Southeast Asian Games and he collected eight medals for his nation.
That included two gold medals in doubles in the 2021 Vietnam games, as well as the 2023 Cambodia event.
How high do you think Alexandra Eala’s ceiling is?
Following Eala’s success at the 2025 tournament, Gonzalez took to Instagram to share a message to the rising star.
Alongside a picture of himself with Eala, Gonzalez wrote: “Welcome to the club champ! So proud of you and thank you for inspiring us all!”
Eala has now won six medals at the SEA Games, including one gold, so she is rapidly approaching Gonzalez’s record.
Alexandra Eala is already confirmed to break new ground in 2026
Eala made her Grand Slam main draw debut at three of the four Grand Slams in 2025, at Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
The star even picked up her maiden Grand Slam victory by shocking Clara Tauson in the first round of the US Open.
What could stop Alexandra Eala from finishing 2026 inside the top 20?
Despite her impressive early record at Grand Slams, she has still not managed to make it to the main draw of the Australian Open.
The star has been through qualifying on three occasions, but she has lost her first round match every single time.
However, Eala’s WTA Tour ranking has guaranteed she will make the main draw of the Australian Open for the first time in 2026.
