THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2026

Alexandra Eala

Press Conference

A. EALA/I Swiatek

7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Alex, great victory today.

ALEXANDRA EALA: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Just sum up your thoughts.

ALEXANDRA EALA: Well, I think I'm trying to collect them at the moment. Of course, so many emotions, such an intense battle. I'm really proud of how I fought and I held my own out there.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You talked about the idea of not mistaking emotion for satisfaction. Powerful line. How do you balance that?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I don't think it's something that I've practiced or trained. I think it's something that just comes natural to me. I don't know if it's my character or what it is. I think it's important for me to celebrate, even however long I have, and to enjoy victories like this.

But once the next match gets closer and closer, my body feels it. I have that, I guess I would say, skill to lock back in. I think the skill of locking back in is something to be practiced, as well.

But yeah, I guess it comes with the character that I have, yeah.

Q. Congratulations on your win. I think that was your first-ever match on Centre Court. Afterwards you described it as your dream court. What was playing on Centre Court feeling like? Was that something you ever thought about growing up?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Yes, yes, yes. Wimbledon has always been my favorite tournament, I got to say. I always loved the tradition around it, the elegance. When you're young, there's certain things that you don't understand, but there are certain things that stick out to you. One thing for me is how people carry themselves, all-white dress code, the greenery and the grass courts.

I hold Wimbledon very close to my heart. Being able to play here on Centre Court the second year in a row, it's amazing for me to be able to do that and to have these intense moments and this level of competition in, well, essentially the best stage in the world for tennis.

I'm grateful to be in that position again this year. I was in a similar position last year. I think I was able to learn from that. I was able to go into this match with an improved mindset from last year, yeah.

Q. You talked on court about the emotions, coming from the Philippines, how special that was. I wonder the extent to which you feel like you're playing something more than just yourself, how much that helps, adds pressure?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Hmmm... Well, I think I've always thought about this as a personal journey for me. Because although I'm very grateful and very welcoming of all the support that I get, I'm the one and my team is the one and my family is the one who have been putting in the hours. We're the ones who are here at the courts 12 hours in a row. We're the ones who wake up early, who come back home late.

I think that day-to-day work and that work ethic is really what keeps me grounded and keeps me locked in.

Then I guess the responsibility or the effects or the impact I have on other people and the inspiration that I can bring is a result of that work ethic.

Q. Iga was in here recently and she said she was struggling returning your serve when it got slower. Do you notice that tactically slower serves can throw off the rhythm of an opponent and is something you can use as a weapon?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Yes, I have never really been the biggest server in comparison to a lot of the girls here. So I do my best to use my serve as an advantage. I think I have a lot of other strengths.

Although I do believe it's been improving a lot (smiling).

But yeah, every player's different. Maybe Iga today...

She said that?

Q. Yes.

ALEXANDRA EALA: I guess I did my job well, yeah (smiling).

Q. You've spoken a lot about Rafa's influence on you. The Filipino athletes that you looked up to, any that you've had the opportunity to connect with, athletes that are successful in their own right?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Of course, the kind of national hero in sports in the Philippines is Manny Pacquiao. I guess he is the first global athletic figure from the Philippines who I can remember and associate a lot of my childhood memories with.

When he would have fights, it would really be like holidays in the Philippines. We would gather and we would watch his fights. People would go off work. It would really be an event.

I think he is someone super inspiring as an athlete.

In recent years, of course, Hidilyn Diaz, who won the first gold medal, Olympic gold medal for the Philippines, is a huge inspiration. That moment was incredible.

Of course Carlos Yulo, in the most recent Olympics, won two gold medals, so amazing.

Of course E.J. Obiena is the pole vaulter. He's a good friend of my family. He likes tennis.

Yeah, there are so many people. I feel like the Filipinos have such great work ethic. We are really hard workers. And when it counts, we can show up.

Q. All of those inspirational Filipino athletes you just mentioned are men.

ALEXANDRA EALA: I could also name women, if you'd like.

Q. Either way, you have the opportunity to be a role model for women and girls in the Philippines. What would that mean or what does that mean already?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Heavy question (smiling).

Well, you got me speechless there. It's an honor to be able to pave the way for young girls. It would be the honor of my life to be able to inspire others. I think inspiration is such a beautiful thing.

Then again, I want to remind anybody that you can take inspiration from anywhere you want. Anywhere, anyone, if you want to be inspired, and if you're inspired by it, it will just come to you.

I try to be as authentic as I can. I believe in being genuine. I believe in my values. This exposure I guess or this platform that I have has really allowed me to self-reflect. It allows me to become the best version of myself, because I know that a lot of people look up to me.

Then again, I think the main message here is that I don't want them to look at me and say, I want to be the next Alex Eala. I want them to look at me and say, Wow, I want to be the first me. I want to make my own path.

Q. Can you tell us what was going through your mind in the tiebreak? Also, having to close it out in the second set at 5-2.

ALEXANDRA EALA: Yeah, I was just thinking one point at a time. I think when you think it's 9-All or 10-9, I think you start to kind of crumble a little bit. One point at a time, it helps.

At the end of the day, Iga is such an amazing player, so you never really know what's going to happen.

Once I saw my opportunities or once I see the ball coming, I go for it, yeah. Not much thinking. It's more instinct, I would say.

Q. Seeing your parents around the tournament, how important have they been in your journey? And if you could explain their style?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Their style? Oh, my gosh. My parents are super stylish (laughter). Yeah, I thought they looked super cute today before we walked out to the car. I took a pic of them. It was really cute. I was envisioning them in the box. I was like, Yeah, this fits well.

In regards to the first question, they're so much, not just in my tennis journey, they're my parents. They guide me on court; they guide me off the court. I'm really blessed to have parents like them, role models like them, and people who have helped shape me to become who I am now, yeah.

Q. Because boxing is so popular in the Philippines, have you ever taken anything from boxing, whether it's a mindset of a boxer or any kind of training methods, added it to your program?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Unfortunately not. Boxing is a very daunting sport for me (smiling). Sorry, no. But maybe I will look into that, yeah.

Q. The Filipino fan culture again, social media engagement. It's in music, boxing, all fields.

ALEXANDRA EALA: I think we're just very proud of where we come from. We have a really strong sense of community. You can see it when someone does well.

We are a community that uplifts each other. We're quite positive people. When positive things happen to other Filipinos around the world, we kind of share the enjoyment and share in the happiness.

I guess that's how I see it, yeah.

Q. Monday you will play against Jasmine Paolini. You beat her in Dubai this year. Another player who plays and smiles like you.

ALEXANDRA EALA: Thank you.

Q. What do you think about her?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I think she's a great player. She is a great fighter, especially. It was not an easy match in Dubai for me. It will not be an easy match here either. But then again, every match is a different story.

I'm going to do my best to prepare for that one and focus all my energy in trying to improve and do better, yeah.

Q. You seem to be quite a difficult matchup for Iga. Could you shed some light on tactically how you approach these matches with her?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Well, that's a really flattering, flattering thing to hear. Thank you.

No, I do my best. I think more than specifically with Iga, I'm a very aggressive player, so I try to take all the opportunities I can. On grass, kind of try to step in.

Yeah, I think that's the best way I could describe it: try to be brave. When I see the opportunity, I go. Yeah, that's kind of the whole idea of the game that I've had.

Q. Your game does seem suited to grass. Did you grow up on any grass courts?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I don't think there are any, to my knowledge, no. No, I did not grow up on grass in the Philippines. I grew up on a court that was painted over a basketball court. The basketball court was painted over the tennis court.

It's funny. So there would be the basketball hoops, so I couldn't really step back a lot because then I would hit the basketball hoop.

But to answer your question, no. I didn't grow up on grass.

Q. It's just been something the past few years you've...

ALEXANDRA EALA: I really started competing on grass in the juniors. I would play, like, two weeks a year there. So for like one or two years. Last year was the first time I really did kind of like a grass season, yeah.