The Marcos administration has lauded Filipino tennis player Alex Eala amid her dominant streak in the Miami Open, which has seen her defeat much higher seeded opponents including world No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland.
Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is very proud of athletes who bring honor to the country.
“Isa po ito sa napakalaki pong tagumpay ng isang Pilipino. Ang Malacañang po, ang Palasyo po, ang Pangulo po ay ipinagmamalaki ang katulad po ng ating mga Pilipino na nagbibigay po ng karangalan sa Pilipinas,” Castro said during a briefing.
(This is a huge success for a Filipino. Our President is proud of Filipinos who bring honor to the country.)
“So, congratulations sa ating kababayan at hindi pa po dito nagtatapos ang ating pasasalamat sa mga kababayan natin na nagbibigay ng karangalan sa Pilipinas,” she added.
(Congratulations to our kababayan and this does not end here for our kababayans who bring pride for the Philippines.)
Alex Eala, who joined the Miami Open as a wildcard, made Philippine history as she beat Swiatek at the tournament’s quarterfinals early Thursday morning (Philippine time).
This was the 19-year-old’s third consecutive match that she beat a Grand Slam winner, which not only brings her to the Miami Open semis—it elevates her stature as among the best in the world.
From her current rank of 140, Eala is expected to enter the Top 100 of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings when it updates on Monday, March 31.
Eala has set up a semifinal showdown with No. 4 ranked Jessica Pegula of the United States on Friday, March 28 (8:30 a.m. Philippine time). — VDV, GMA Integrated News
