Beyond tennis, Alex Eala finds joy in fashion, wants to collaborate with Filipino designers

<p>Whether she's on or off the tennis court, Alex Eala finds joy in discovering herself through fashion.</p><p>Speaking at a media homecoming event hosted by BPI at its head office in Makati City, the world no. 28 said incorporating Filipino elements into her outfits while on tour is her way of paying tribute to her roots.</p><p>"I think, on one hand, it is a way for me to pay tribute to my culture and a slight nod to where I come from," she said.</p><p>"On the other hand, it's also just because I genuinely think it's really beautiful," she added. "When I wore the sampaguita hair tie last year, I felt super beautiful... I felt confident on court."</p><p>Alex also reflected on <a href="https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/shoppingandfashion/984711/alex-eala-effortlessly-stuns-in-filipiniana-at-2026-laureus-awards-in-madrid/story/" target="_blank">wearing a Filipiniana</a> designed by her uncle, <a href="https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/shoppingandfashion/985027/alex-eala-reveals-uncle-rhett-eala-designed-the-elegant-filipiniana-she-wore-at-laureus-awar/story/" target="_blank">Rhett Eala</a>, at the 2026 Laureus Awards in Madrid in April.</p><p>"When I wore the Filipiniana, I felt so beautiful," she said. "I felt like a princess."</p><p>The Filipina tennis star said her appreciation for fashion has grown alongside her career.</p><p>"I do love fashion, and I think as I grow older and have more events to go to, it's something that I definitely have been tapping into and finding my style," she said.</p><p>Alex also expressed interest in collaborating with Filipino designers for future engagements and described her personal style as "girly" yet "edgy."</p><p>"I'm still trying to figure it out, but it's a beautiful process that I'm really enjoying," she said.</p><p>During the same event, Alex also revealed that she now has a <a href="https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/lifestyle/content/994808/alex-eala-spain-residence-card/story/" target="_blank">residence card in Spain</a>, allowing her to travel more easily to different countries for tournaments.</p><p>Alex came off a historic run in the Wimbledon tournament, where she reached the Round of 16 after defeating former world no. 1 Iga Swiatek. It marked the end of her impressive <a href="https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/sports/othersports/994451/alex-eala-s-2026-grass-court-run-wta-125-title-wimbledon-history-and-more/story/" target="_blank">grass-court season</a>, during which she captured the <a href="https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/sports/othersports/990549/alex-eala-wins-wta-125-birmingham-open-after-outlasting-nikola-bartunkova-in-thriller/story/" target="_blank">WTA 125 title in Birmingham</a> and reached the semifinals of the <a href="https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/sports/othersports/992095/alex-eala-vs-elina-svitolina-berlin-tennis-open-quarterfinals/story/" target="_blank">Berlin Tennis Open</a>.</p><p>The Filipina tennis ace is now gearing up for the hard court swing of the tour, which includes the US Open.<strong> - MGP GMA News</strong></p>