From Centre Court to La Casita: Eala’s Bad Bunny surprise was ‘lit’
Alexandra Eala's post-Wimbledon victory lap took an unexpected detour to Stockholm, where she stepped inside Bad Bunny's viral concert set.
Fresh off a Round of 16 run at the year's third Grand Slam event, where she reached the Round of 16 by dethroning defending champion Iga Swiatek, Eala traded Centre Court for "La Casita," taking in the singer's DeBÍ TiRAR MáS FOToS World Tour stop at Strawberry Arena from a coveted on-stage vantage point.
"It was lit," she recalled with a laugh upon her return to the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz this week at the Mubadala DC Open. "I don't know how else I would describe it."
"It was super fun, super energetic, and I was absolutely freaking out when he passed by me," she continued. "I was screaming the lyrics in his face. I don't know what he saw, but it was like a two-second eye contact, but it was enough to make my whole week."
A "mini girls' trip" for three days near Stockholm was just enough time for Eala to unplug away from the spotlight following a hero's welcome at home in Manila, where she received a presidential citation from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace -- among other kudos -- for being the first player from the Philippines to reach the second week of a major tournament. Upon landing at the airport, she was welcomed by a delegation led by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Patrick "Pato" Gregorio and Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino.
The getaway also gave the 20-year-old a chance to reflect on a breakthrough grass-court campaign that further cemented her place among the rising stars on the WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz.
Sharing the concert scene to social media, Eala underscored her desire to embrace every moment of a life-changing stretch, both on and off the court. She paired the post with the Spanish quote, "Mientras uno está vivo, uno debe amar lo más que pueda." In English, it translates to: "As long as one is alive, one should love as much as possible."
She reinforced that view ahead of her Washington debut, saying she has learned not only to appreciate the increasing number of milestones in her young career, but also the responsibility that comes with them.
"I'm very privileged to be able to carry my flag and to represent everything that comes with that," she said. "I'm very grateful to everybody who comes out to see me. I think it's great for them to also experience, because I know a lot of them have never been to tennis events. So I'm happy also to be able to, in one way or another, introduce a tennis event in their life. Yeah, I think that it's a beautiful thing."
"I think it's taken me by surprise a couple of times," she continued. "I think each time you have to realize kind of -- or I have to realize what I carry when I'm out on court, who I represent.
"I do think that representation is a very powerful thing. It's a very meaningful thing. I like to say that it's very impactful when someone sees themselves in you. So I know that a lot of these people who come to see me, whether they're Filipino or from wherever in the world, in one way or another, if they support me, they see a part of themselves in me. I guess I do my best obviously for my team and more for my family, but also for everybody who supports [me]."
