(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — Filipinos stayed way past midnight on Tuesday to watch the resumption of a Women Tennis Association (WTA) 500 finals match between local tennis sensation Alex Eala and the world No. 3 and tournament top seed Jessica Pegula. And they were not disappointed.
Eala not only won the championship at the Mubadala DC Open in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, but made history as well — as the first Filipina to do so. Added to that is her rise to no. 20 in the world rankings.
At home, 11 senators responded with resolutions honoring Eala and which were presented for adoption during Tuesday's session.
Among those who filed the resolutions were Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, Senators Joel Villanueva, Bam Aquino, Christopher Go, JV Ejercito, Mark Villar, Erwin Tulfo, Robin Padilla and Lito Lapid.
Before beating Pegula, Eala ousted reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China, defending champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada, world No. 10 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, and four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka of Japan.
In a press briefing in Malacanang earlier on Tuesday, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos avoided watching Eala’s live matches for fear of jinxing the results.
“He told me that usually, he doesn't like to watch live because it seems that he has bad luck when he watches personal games or watches live,” said Castro.
Marcos extended his congratulations to Eala after the match.
At the House of Representatives, Speaker Faustino Dy III said in a social media post that Eala's victory was the result of years of dedication and sacrifice.
"Years of sweat and sacrifice resulted in history—the first Filipina to win a WTA title," Dy said. “It is inspiring to see that the hard work of one Filipina has brought joy to millions of Filipinos."
The lawmaker further stated that Eala's achievement demonstrated the value of perseverance, discipline and commitment, adding that her success serves as an inspiration for young Filipinos striving to achieve their goals.
"Congratulations on your first WTA title. You make every Filipino proud every time you step on the court. Maraming salamat," Dy said.
Presiding officer Francis Escudero opened Day 12 of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte by recognizing Eala’s historic win, saying that despite the parties’ differences inside the impeachment court, he believed everyone was united in celebrating Eala’s achievement for the Philippines.
"Even though our views may differ and although both sides are opposing each other in the impeachment court, there are things we should all agree on and unite behind—especially for those who stayed up late last night watching TV," Escudero said before the start of Duterte’s impeachment trial.
"For me, one of those is the victory and championship of our talented and courageous fellow Filipino, Alex Eala, at the DC Open," he added.
Escudero said in jest that if any senator-judge were sleepy during the trial, they likely watched Eala's game.
In a separate statement, Sen. Francis Pangilinan congratulated Eala, saying, “We thank her for proudly raising the Philippine flag on the international stage. Because of Alex, the Philippines is steadily gaining recognition in the world of tennis.”
"More importantly, this victory highlights the need for the government to prioritize sports in the country by strengthening grassroots support, developing modern sports facilities, and providing sustained support to Filipino athletes like Alex," he added.
