By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos<\/p>\n\n\n\n
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has lauded Filipino tennis sensation Alexandra Eala for her impressive performance at the 2025 Miami Open in Florida, USA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe would like to congratulate our tennis phenomenon, Alex Eala, on her historic and amazing run in the 2025 Miami Open,\u201d Marcos said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe are one with the entire nation in thanking Alex for her sacrifices and hard work in her quest for glory and honor. I\u2019m sure the elusive championship title is within reach soon,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The President praised Eala for showing the world the talents and skills of a Filipino athlete. He said Eala\u2019s unprecedented feat serves as an inspiration to everyone, especially to ordinary Filipinos who have the \u201csame grit and determination.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cTruly, what you did showed the whole world what a Filipino athlete is all about \u2013 determined, steadfast, and never the one to back away from any challenges,\u201d Marcos told Eala in a message.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eala reached the semifinal round after defeating world No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek at the Hard Rock Stadium early Thursday (Philippine time).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Her historic run also included wins over unseeded American Katie Volynets, as well as two other Grand Slam champions \u2013 2017 French Open winner Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia and reigning Australian Open champion Madison Keys of the United States. Eala, however, fell short against world no. 4 Jessica Pegula in the semifinals of the Miami Open on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a separate statement, the Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said Eala still made the country proud and showed the world a \u201cgreat fight,\u201d despite her loss to Pegula in their semifinal bout.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAlex surmounted a string of setbacks in her journey to be among the best in the Miami Open 2025. Through her sheer persistence, Alex proved that anything is possible,\u201d the PCO said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe, Filipinos, are like Alex. We are all tenacious in the toughest of environments. We thrive and excel in the harshest conditions all over the world,\u201d the PCO concluded. (PNA)<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has lauded Filipino tennis sensation Alexandra Eala for her impressive performance at the 2025 Miami Open in Florida, USA. \u201cWe would like to congratulate our tennis phenomenon, Alex Eala, on her historic and amazing run in the 2025 Miami Open,\u201d Marcos said in a statement. \u201cWe […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1216,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6,14],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1215","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n