Filipina tennis player Alex Eala has made history by securing a seeded spot in a Grand Slam singles draw for the first time by a player from the Philippines.
She enters Wimbledon as the No. 29 seed, with a world ranking of No. 32.
The 21-year-old arrives at the grass-court major following an impressive stretch that included a 9-3 record this season.
She won her maiden singles title at the Birmingham Open and reached the semifinals of the WTA 500 Berlin Open.
During her Berlin run, Eala defeated top-10 players Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina.
Earlier in January, she also beat world No. 7 Coco Gauff and No. 14 Jasmine Paolini in Dubai.
"I'm so honored to be lifting this trophy today," Eala said after her Birmingham victory.
"But lifting this trophy does not mean that I will be among the greats yet. So I'm motivated to keep working."
Eala experienced an early exit at the Bad Homburg Open, which gave her recovery time after partnering with tennis legend Venus Williams during the tournament.
She called the experience a privilege.
"Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I'd have the privilege of competing alongside you on court, Venus Williams!"
Eala said.
Being seeded at Wimbledon holds special meaning for Eala. "I do not want to downplay how big that means to me.
To be a seed in a Slam — and Wimbledon, in particular — it really touches close to home," she said.
She described Wimbledon as her favorite Grand Slam, citing the elegance and tradition of grass-court tennis.
"There's just something about it being played on grass, and the elegance and the tradition surrounding it. I think it's very unique," Eala added.
The Filipina star acknowledged the mental and physical demands of the professional tour.
"It's taken a toll mentally, but that's part of the process of becoming a better player and a more mature person," she said.
"Every match is very high-level competition, so you don't have room to let your guard down."
Eala emphasized the importance of switching off from tennis to maintain balance.
"One of the things I'm learning to do is switch off 'tennis mode' and step outside of tennis," she noted.
In the first round, Eala faces Mexico's Renata Zarazua, against whom she holds a 0-1 head-to-head record after a three-set loss at the 2024 ITF Cary Tennis Classic.
The winner will face either seven-time Wimbledon champion Serena Williams or Australia's Maya Joint in the second round, with defending champion Iga Swiatek as a potential third-round opponent.
