Filipino tennis player Alex Eala honored her heritage by wearing a Sampaguita-inspired hair tie during her first-round match at Wimbledon on Tuesday.
The custom-designed hair tie, a gift from Nike, featured the Philippines’ national flower and included a Filipino proverb, “Kung may tinanim, may aanihin,” meaning “If you plant something, you will harvest something.” Eala shared the significance of the hair tie in an Instagram post, saying it reminded her of her roots and cultural identity.
Eala, who recently finished as runner-up at the Lexus Eastbourne Open, reached a career-high WTA ranking of World No. 56. Despite losing a three-set final to Maya Joint at Eastbourne, she described the match as one of the toughest losses of her career.
In her Wimbledon debut, Eala faced defending champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic. She won the first set but ultimately lost the match 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who serves as Eala’s mentor, acknowledged her progress following her Eastbourne performance.
Eala expressed gratitude to Nike for the opportunity to showcase her Filipino heritage on the Wimbledon Centre Court, reflecting her growing prominence in professional tennis.
