Play01:11Filipino symbols Eala carries to courtTennis sensation to celebrate breakout year with exhibition in Bulacan Alex Eala has announced she will play a special homecoming match in the Philippines to celebrate her sensational 2026 season. Eala has enjoyed a breakout year, rising to No 18 in the world and winning her first WTA Tour title at the Mubadala DC Open. She is currently in New York for the US Open, where she is considered an outsider for the title. To mark her success, she will return to take on her close friend, Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, in an exhibition match at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan on December 8. The event is expected to be a 55,000 sellout. “Every time I play abroad, I carry the Philippines with me. To come home and play in front of our fans will be incredibly special,” Eala told event organiser Tatler Philippines. “I want this to be a day where we celebrate our love for tennis, our culture, and the young players who will take the sport forward.”Eala and her Canadian partner, Felix Auger-Aliassime, bowed out of the US Open mixed doubles in the first round following their straight-sets loss to Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils last week. Alexandra Eala of the Philippines after winning the Mubadala DC Open. EPAShow caption: Alexandra Eala of the Philippines after winning the Mubadala…The husband-and-wife team of Monfils and Svitolina needed only 39 minutes to wrap up a 4-1, 4-1 win at Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York. The first three rounds of the mixed doubles at the US Open use shorter sets of four games before reverting to the usual six games in the final.Eala's opening match in the singles competition sees her take on US player Mary Stoiana on Wednesday. Updated: August 30, 2026, 6:49 AM