NONTHABURI, Thailand — Alexandra Eala delivered a dominant performance to claim the women’s singles tennis gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games on Thursday, defeating Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-1, 6-2 in the final and ending a 26-year wait for the Philippines in the event.
The 20-year-old Eala, a graduate of the Rafa Nadal Academy and the highest-ranked player from Southeast Asia on the WTA tour, overpowered the home favorite at the National Tennis Development Center. She broke serve repeatedly and closed out the match when Sawangkaew’s forehand sailed wide.
Eala became emotional during the medal ceremony, tearing up as the Philippine national anthem played and later running around the court draped in her country’s flag.
“This is just a whole another category,” Eala said afterward. “Playing with the country written on your back … brings a different kind of pressure. I’m so happy with how I handled it.”
The victory marked the Philippines’ first women’s singles gold in SEA Games tennis since Maricris Fernandez in 1999, making Eala the third Filipina to achieve the feat after Fernandez and Pia Tamayo in 1981.
Eala, who served as co-flagbearer for the Philippines at the opening ceremony, capped a breakthrough 2025 season that included a semifinal run at the Miami Open, main-draw appearances at all four Grand Slams, her first WTA title at the Guadalajara 125 Open, and a career-high ranking of No. 50.
She also earned bronze medals in the women’s team event and mixed doubles at these Games, adding to three bronzes from the 2021 edition.
The win provided a triumphant close to Eala’s 2025 campaign as she prepares for the Australian Open next month.
