MUBADALA DC OPEN

July 26, 2026

Alex Eala

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: It's your first time playing here in D.C. Do you want to open up by talking about your first time here at the tournament?

ALEX EALA: Yeah, I'm super happy to be here in Washington D.C. I think it's an amazing place. The people have been super hospitable, and I've had a great time so far.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I know in the weeks leading up to the tournament, you got a chance to go back home to the Philippines. What was that experience like? I saw a lot of videos online. Just what was like just getting to travel over here as well?

ALEX EALA: Yeah, it's definitely been a lot, but a lot of really eye-opening experiences back home. You know, it was just an experience that was more for tennis than me.

I don't get to go home a lot. I don't go home very often, so every time I go home, it's super meaningful. The fact that I'm able to really interact with the people who I know support me through my journey, it really meant a lot, yeah.

Q. What are your expectations on your debut here? Who are you most excited to possibly play, and your thoughts on fellow Filipina Leylah Fernandez on being the defending champion?

ALEX EALA: Okay, sorry, first question, can you repeat?

Q. Expectations.

ALEX EALA: Expectations, okay. This is my first week back since Wimbledon, and I've had, you know, pretty busy couple of weeks. So I think my first priority is trying to get, you know, the groove back. I'm trying to ease myself back into that rhythm of competition. I think for now I'm taking it match by match.

Then you mentioned Leylah being a defending champion, I mean, it's amazing. I think what she's done here is really great. She's a great player. She's definitely someone to look out for here, yeah.

Q. (Off microphone.)

ALEX EALA: Well, at the moment I only know that I'm playing Qinwen. I'm excited to play her, yeah.

Q. I wanted to ask how you wound up in the Bad Bunny casita in Sweden? How did that all come together? That is not where I expected to see you pop up next. It looked like a fun time.

ALEX EALA: I had such a fun time. I went with two of my friends. I found out kind of last-minute that I was able to get into the casita, so it was a really fun experience.

It was really nice to just disconnect. I had kind of like a mini girls trip, like three days in Sweden. Just to forget about tennis and feel like just another girl.

Q. What was it like in there? Can you describe it?

ALEX EALA: It was lit (laughing). I don't know how else I would describe it. It was super fun, super energetic, and I was absolutely freaking out when he passed by me. I was, like, screaming the lyrics in his face. I don't know what he saw, but it was like a two-second eye contact, but it was enough to make my whole week, yeah.

Q. You have had a lot of big breakthrough moments in the last 12 or 10 months. How does this one in particular compare, this win over Iga, compare to the one in Miami where you reached your first slam second week? Does it feel even more perhaps, not overwhelming, but a lot for you in a sense in a way? How does it compare? How does it feel for you?

ALEX EALA: That's a great question. Thank you. Of course, I like to say that every match is kind of a different story. There are definitely two different narratives to my match against Iga in Miami and my match against her in Wimbledon.

Of course, my Miami run was really my first breakthrough moment. It was the first time I ever played or won at that level, so in that sense, that will always be special for me.

But this was a different circumstance I think primarily because it was a Grand Slam. Second of all, I think I had been playing well the whole grass season. This is the furthest I have got in a slam, so it meant a lot to me going in. I knew kind of, like, what it would mean if I was able to show up at a certain level and play a certain level, win or lose.

But, you know, I knew what it would mean to me personally to be able to play against Iga and her being the defending champion, of course, in Centre Court. It was very sentimental for me, yeah.

Q. I know you played doubles with Venus back in Germany a few months ago. You were scheduled to do that here, but not going to. Is that more just a rest consideration, or do you know the reason behind it?

ALEX EALA: Well, yes, I think I have so much respect for Venus. I am so grateful for every opportunity that I have to be around her, to learn from her, to hit with her. But I do think this is my first week coming back, and I think that Venus is someone who deserves a partner who can give their all physically, emotionally, mentally when they're on court with her.

I think right now I think I can only do that for singles. I don't have the capacity yet to be able to give that in both singles and doubles. I'm really grateful for the opportunity that I had, or have, and hopefully we see more of it in the future.

Q. You mentioned you were back home in the Philippines, and I know your influence there and the passion of Filipinos for their athletes and their sport. There's a large population of Filipino-Americans, both here in the D.C. area, up and down the East Coast, that will be coming to see you play. Does it feel like a burden? Does it feel like you're carrying a flag for them and representing them on the court and off the court? I wonder just how you manage and balance that as you go on and try to win matches?

ALEX EALA: It's definitely not a burden. I would describe it more as a privilege, you know, and I'm very privileged to be able to carry my flag and to represent everything that comes with that.

I'm very grateful to everybody who comes out to see me. I think it's great for them to also experience, because I know a lot of them have never been to tennis events. So I'm happy also to be able to, in one way or another, introduce a tennis event in their life. Yeah, I think that it's a beautiful thing.

But, you know, when I approach these things, it's always kind of what I have to do, what do I need to be prepared, what do I need to -- how do I need to work and so on and so forth. I know what I need to do to get where I want to be, and I trust my team, so yeah.

Q. I'm curious, have you ever stopped to wonder why you? I feel like you've reached so much -- the stardom is so potent and present everywhere you go. I'm curious how it lands on you when you kind of levitate out of your body and imagine yourself experiencing all of this, this fandom, this love, this attention?

ALEX EALA: Sorry, why me in regards to the fans?

Q. Yeah, the global attention.

ALEX EALA: Maybe I haven't. Well, no, I definitely -- it's never crossed my mind to ask, oh, why? I think it's taken me by surprise a couple of times. I think each time you have to realize kind of -- or I have to realize what I carry when I'm out on court, who I represent.

I do think that representation is a very powerful thing. It's a very meaningful thing. I like to say that it's very impactful when someone sees themselves in you. So I know that a lot of these people who come to see me, whether they're Filipino or from wherever in the world, in one way or another, if they support me, they see a part of themselves in me.

I guess I do my best obviously for my team and more for my family, but also for everybody who supports, yeah.