ALEX EALA NAMES BORACAY AS HER FAVORITE PHILIPPINE DESTINATION
Updated: 11 hours ago
By Freida Dario-Santiago
International tennis star and Philippine pride Alex Eala has said it more than once. In fact, she seems to say it every chance she gets: she loves Boracay.
“If I could be invisible for a day, I would go to Boracay or another island in the Philippines and have a nice vacation,” she said in a WTA post on September 2, just after winning her first-round match at the US Open.
On another occasion, fresh from making history as the first Filipino to claim a WTA Tour singles title at the 2026 Mubadala DC Open in Washington, DC, Eala was asked about her favorite place in the Philippines. Her answer came without hesitation: “Boracay.”
She reiterated her affection for the island during an appearance on The Players Box Podcast, hosted by tennis stars Jennifer Brady, Jessica Pegula, Madison Keys and Desirae Krawczyk. Asked where she would take fellow players visiting the Philippines, Eala replied, “Boracay. Some people say it’s overrated, but I disagree. It’s my favorite.”
It is an endorsement that carries particular weight because it does not come from a tourism campaign. For one of the Philippines’ brightest young international sports stars, Boracay is simply a place she genuinely loves.
And she has the holiday photos to prove it.
All Eyes on Alex
At just 21, Eala’s star is rising well beyond the tennis court.
Tennis legend John McEnroe recently said “the sky’s the limit for her,” comparing her popularity to Manny Pacquiao at the height of his boxing career. Former world No. 1 Andy Roddick has similarly acknowledged the “Eala mania,” crediting her with bringing passionate new fans into tennis.
Her growing cultural impact was underscored on September 3, when she landed above the fold on the front page of The New York Times. The Times focused not simply on Eala the athlete, but on the Filipino phenomenon surrounding her, particularly how her rise has galvanized Filipinos in New York and across the diaspora. Its print headline, “In Little Manila, This U.S. Open Redefines Love,” captured a story continued on page A18 that has become about much more than tennis.
New York was not finished with her.
Fresh from reaching the third round of the US Open, Eala made her New York Fashion Week debut, taking coveted front-row seats at Tory Burch, Michael Kors and Calvin Klein. She rubbed shoulders with stars including Amanda Seyfried and Sadie Sink and, notably, sat alongside Vogue’s Anna Wintour, who had already singled out the young Filipina for her interest in fashion.
From center court to the front page and now the front row, all eyes are on Alex Eala.
And when one of the Philippines’ hottest young international stars wants to get away from it all? Boracay is still at the top of her list.
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