TRENDING: Alex Eala's horizontal forehand at Wimbledon takes over the internet
Alex Eala continues to make history at Wimbledon after defeating defending champion Iga Swiatek 7-6 (11/9), 6-2.
Filipinos celebrated the 21-year-old's win on July 4, with even President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. cheering on the "good news." The victory aside, Eala's been making waves online over a certain moment during the third-round matchup.
In the second set, Eala continued her 3-0 lead over Swiatek, and in the fourth game, Swiatek bounced back, closing the gap with 40-30.
After Eala served, she lost her footing and fell to the grass. But while Swiatek hit the ball back to Eala, the Pinay, determined, crawled forward and extended her left arm, sending the ball back to her Polish foe—all while she was on the ground.
The point eventually went to Swiatek after Eala failed to answer after she got back on her feet.
Commentators Anne Keothavong and Jo Durie were left in awe of the moment. "Not sure that I've ever seen that on the tennis court," one of them said, with the other saying, "She's a gymnast!"
"The horizontal forehand. What skill," they added.
Since the match, photos of Eala's horizontal forehand have made the rounds online.
"These photos of Alex Eala go HARD," the Tennis Channel captioned its pictures of the highlight reel.
Several others have noted that the moment captured Eala's grit.
"Whatever the Tagalog word for 'Quit' is, it sure isn't in [Alex's] personal vocabulary," a tennis photographer wrote on X.
Whatever the Tagalog word for "Quit" is, it sure isn't in Alex' personal vocabulary 🤯 pic.twitter.com/5eJlqNwB95
— Jimmie48 Photography (@JJlovesTennis) July 4, 2026
This sentiment was echoed in a photo by Ella Ling on Instagram, where one commented, "What a perfect shot! This photo shows us the true meaning of resilience, endurance, determination, and the pursuit of greatness! No matter how you fall, you rise and fight back!
One meme page on X likened the moment to the Chicago Bulls' Dennis Rodman diving for the ball in February 1997. "Tennis Rodman," they quipped.
Pinoys celebrate Eala
Following Eala's win, several Filipino personalities expressed how proud they were of the young athlete.
"Biruin mo, mayroon na tayong player, baba pa, na nanalo sa third round in Wimbledon. Tennis does not operate at a higher level than Wimbledon, so she's really world-class. She's terrific," Marcos said of Eala.
"Insane! The entire nation is extremely proud! Thanks for the boost of morale we all needed, [Alex]," Anne Curtis wrote in an Instagram Story.
A handful of others took the party to Wimbledon's Instagram comments, including Manny Pacquiao, Apl.de.Ap, KATSEYE's Sophia Laforteza, EJ Obiena, Eugene Domingo, Rajo Laurel, Kim Atienza, Darren Espanto, and Janine Gutierrez, among others.
In her post-match interview, Eala shared that her Wimbledon run so far has her "really emotional."
"Maybe for someone like Iga, who has won so many slams, or maybe someone like Serena or Venus [Williams], this achievement may seem small, but for someone who grew up in the Philippines..." she said, getting emotional.
"You know, I went to train with my brother and grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and my light-up shoes and chubby cheeks. To her, this is everything."
Eala is off to the next round to face off against Italy's Jasmine Paolini.
