SEN. Joel Villanueva filed a resolution last Monday congratulating and commending Alex Eala for her “exceptional performance” in the 2025 Miami Open, making history as the first Filipina to reach the top 100 of the Women’s Tennis Association world rankings.
“Alex’s achievement serves as an inspiration to young athletes across the country and proves that with hard work and perseverance, Filipinos can compete and triumph on the world stage,” Villaneuva said.
Eala, 19, the 2022 US Open Junior Girls’ Singles champion defeated World No. 73 Katie Volynets and No. 25 and 2017 French Open champion JelenaOstapenko before stunning World No. 5 and 2025 Australian Open winner Madison Keys and World No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion IgaŚwiątek.
She eventually lost to world No. 4 Jessica Pegula in the semifinals.
Eala, who competed in the 2025 Miami Open as a wild card entry, rose to 75 in the world rankings.
“Our national athletes are starting to make a mark on the world stage, which is why we need to invest in them,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva, a former national athlete, has been a strong advocate for sports development through legislative initiatives.
He has filed Senate Bill No. (SBN) 932, or the BayaningAtletang Filipino Act, which seeks to establish a national endowment fund for sports heroes, and SBN 569 or the Sports Varsity Teams in Basic Education Act, which aims to institutionalize varsity sports teams in elementary and high schools.
