CHONBURI, Thailand — Alex Eala’s SEA Games campaign has shifted into high gear, with the Filipina star lining up another shot at the podium as she returns to the court today for the mixed doubles semifinals alongside Francis Casey Alcantara.
Fresh off a commanding run to the women’s singles final, Eala is not slowing down. On Tuesday, December 16, the Philippine ace carved out a 6-1, 6-4 victory over Thailand’s Thasaporn Naklo at the National Tennis Development Centre in Nonthaburi, sealing her place in the gold medal match and guaranteeing her best SEA Games finish to date.
The win already elevates Eala beyond her bronze medal showing at the 2021 Vietnam edition, and puts her within striking distance of a historic breakthrough. She now stands one match away from delivering the Philippines its first women’s singles tennis gold since Maricris Fernandez-Gentz’s triumph in 1999.
The anticipated final between the tournament’s two highest-ranked players, however, will not materialize. Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, who enjoyed a breakout 2025 capped by her first WTA Tour title at the Chennai Open, was forced to retire from her semifinal due to a breathing issue. In her place, Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew, ranked No. 240 in the world, advances to face Eala in the championship match scheduled on Thursday, December 18.
Eala showed composure and control against Naklo, quickly recovering from an early 0-2 deficit before asserting her rhythm and court coverage. The performance underscored her growing maturity on the international stage, where consistency and poise have defined her SEA Games run.
Before shifting her full attention to the singles final, Eala takes on another crucial assignment on Wednesday, December 17, as she teams up with veteran campaigner Francis Casey Alcantara in the mixed doubles semifinals. The pairing gives Eala an opportunity to contend for multiple medals in the same Games, reinforcing her status as one of the Philippines’ most valuable multi-event athletes in Thailand.
With momentum firmly on her side, Eala’s schedule now reflects both opportunity and pressure — a chance to make history in singles, and another to extend her medal haul with Alcantara later today.