FROM a little girl from the Philippines with “ruffled socks, light-up shoes and chubby cheeks,” Alexandra “Alex” Eala has definitely come a long way in terms of celebrity, with Filipino and international Who’s Who watching and rooting for her at Centre Court, or on their screens.
The 21-year-old Eala made history on Saturday after dethroning defending champion Iga Swiatek of Poland, 7-6(9), 6-2, at Wimbledon in the United Kingdom, the first old Filipina to have done so.
As seen on a video posted by Wimbledon, Eala’s victory was witnessed by some celebrities who sat on the Royal Box to watch her highly-charged match. Among them were Andrew Garfield and girlfriend actress Monica Barbaro, Marvel star Tom Hiddleston, Condé Nast executive and editor Anna Wintour, “The Devil Wears Prada” actress Simone Ashley, British actresses Emma Corrin and Micheala Coel.
In the video, the celebrities stood up to clap and raise their arms as Eala scored at one point in the match with Swiatek.
In the Philippines, no less than President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. congratulated Eala, and stated his prediction last year that she would come a long way.
On Wimbledon’s post on Instagram, celebrities, among them tennis great Maria Sharapova and Filipino boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, Filipino-American singer-rap artist Apl.de.Ap, and US talk show host Chelsea Handler, also congratulated Eala for her feat.
Eala earlier also met with Catherine, Princess of Wales, who has been a known to be an avid tennis fan, and a prominent fixture at Wimbledon.
Eala was set to go for a quarterfinal slot against Italian Jasmine Paolini, who is tennis’ No. 17 on Monday, Manila Time. (Evangeline Valderrama © Philippine Daily Inquirer)
