World No. 3 Coco Gauff offered a warm and heartfelt show of support to rising Filipina star Alexandra Eala, commenting on her celebratory social media post after the latter capped off a golden Southeast Asian Games campaign. As Eala shared snapshots from her triumphant run, including moments from the podium and the court, Gauff’s congratulatory message underscored the growing bond between two players whose paths briefly crossed on tour.
Coco Gauff Joins the Celebration of Alexandra Eala’s Landmark SEA Games Victory
Competing at the Southeast Asian Games, the 20-year-old delivered a dominant performance in the women’s singles final, routing local favorite Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-1, 6-2 to secure the Philippines’ first women’s singles gold in 26 years.
The title marked Eala’s first SEA Games singles gold medal and added to an already productive year that also included bronze medals in the team event and mixed doubles. Her role as the Philippines’ co-flag bearer at the Opening Ceremony further highlighted her growing stature as one of the nation’s most recognizable athletes.
Eala recently took to Instagram to share a photo dump capturing her SEA Games journey, from match-day intensity to medal celebrations. In her caption, she wrote, “For the Philippines and for the Filipinos. I will go home with souvenirs in town,” accompanied by laughing and gold medal emojis.
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Gauff, who briefly partnered with Eala earlier this season, replied on the post with a heartfelt “congratulations,” punctuated by heart emojis.
Gauff and Eala’s connection dates back to the 2025 Italian Open in Rome, where they teamed up in doubles.
Despite it being their first time sharing the court as partners, the pair displayed immediate chemistry, cruising through their opening matches before bowing out in the quarterfinals to the experienced and seeded Italian duo of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.
Why Was Eala’s SEA Games Victory a Milestone Moment for Philippine Tennis?
Off the court, the moment carried a deeply personal layer. Forty years after her mother, Rizza Maniego-Eala, won a bronze medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the 1985 SEA Games in Bangkok, Eala stood atop the podium in the same city, continuing a family legacy in Philippine sports.
With this latest gold, she now owns six SEA Games medals overall, including the three bronzes she earned as a 17-year-old in Hanoi.
The SEA Games success followed a landmark 2025 season on the WTA Tour, during which Eala broke multiple barriers for Philippine tennis.
She became the first Filipino player to win a main-draw match at a Grand Slam at the US Open, captured her maiden WTA 125 title at the Guadalajara 125 Open, and advanced to the final at the Eastbourne Open, where she finished runner-up to Maya Joint. Those results pushed Eala into the WTA Top 50.
