How Alex Eala Would Spend a Free Day in Manila: Shop Local, Then Eat Very Well

(SPOT.ph) Alex Eala is everything, everywhere, all at once. The World No. 18 is back on court this week at the Singapore Tennis Open. Somewhere in between, she also made her New York Fashion Week debut, sitting front row with Anna Wintour. And then there’s her latest gig off the court: serving as the Asia-Pacific face of Marriott Bonvoy’s Tennis The World campaign.

With a calendar that packed, a completely free day in Manila is undeniably hard to come by. So when we asked Eala how she would spend one—no training, no commitments—she didn't have to think too long for an answer.

“I would go shopping,” Eala told SPOT.ph. If you’ve followed her interviews, that part probably isn’t surprising. Eala has spoken more than once about her love for fashion. What stood out was where she wanted to spend her time: local brands. “I have discovered a lot of local brands, so I would hit those because I don’t have a lot of opportunities to do so.”

“Recently, I got a lot of stuff from Atelier Carlene. I want to go see Araw and Jos Mundo. Those three have been on my radar.”

If you want to follow her shopping list, Atelier Carlene is a Filipino label making polished ready-to-wear and custom pieces; Araw is all about easy, vintage-inspired clothes made for tropical weather; and JOS Mundo does contemporary clothes, accessories, and footwear, including shoes handmade in Marikina.

After a day of shopping, it's time for food. As a self-proclaimed foodie, Eala said she's been meaning to work her way through some of the restaurants that are recognized by the Michelin Guide, whose first Philippine selection was unveiled in October 2025, with 108 establishments across Manila and Cebu.

“I have yet to have the time, but I would love, love, love to do that. I’m such a big foodie. Any and all, especially yung Filipino food,” Eala said, adding that she recently tried Automat, one of the restaurants included in the Michelin Guide.

As for the place she keeps coming back to: “I love Manam. I feel like that’s just a good staple for really good Filipino food.”

Also read: Why Is Alex Eala Playing So Many Tournaments?

Most of the time, though, Eala is playing tournaments all over the world. She’s in the middle of the biggest season of her career so far, reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon before winning her first WTA Tour singles title in Washington in August—the first Filipino to do so. As of writing, she sits at a career-high World No. 18.

Naturally, all that time on tour also means plenty of time spent on a flight. Over the years, she’s learned that a few small things can make a big difference when you’re up in the air.

No, it’s not the elaborate in-flight skincare routine that’s taken over social media lately—that’s not really her thing. The one thing she swears by? Compression socks.

“Madalas namamaga 'yung paa ko from the flights, and that sucks because of the circulation of the blood. So compression socks really help with that, especially kung naka-upo ka upright for a really long amount of time.”

The rest of her essentials only get more practical from there. “A lot of water,” plus enough hand sanitizer to deal with the less glamorous realities of spending hours inside a crowded airplane.

“Bring hand sanitizer kasi kung babanyo ka sa eroplano, kailangan. I just hand sanitize everything—in any class.”

If you’re wondering where all those flights are taking her next, Melbourne is already on the horizon for the first Grand Slam of the year: the 2027 Australian Open.

For fans hoping to catch the tournament in person, Marriott Bonvoy has rolled out more than 250 packages under its Tennis the World campaign, including match tickets, curated dinners, and hospitality experiences. There’s also a chance to meet Eala herself: some packages will go to the highest points bidder, while a few will be released for just one (!) Marriott Bonvoy point.

While Eala spends most of the year playing tennis around the world, Filipinos back home are picking up a racquet and trying the sport for themselves. You can see it in the numbers—Decathlon said beginner racquet sales jumped 66% in 2025.

That also means many new players are figuring out what to do once they finally get on one. Do you work on your serve? Your grip? Your footwork? So we asked Eala where a beginner should even start. For someone playing at World No. 18 level, her answer is simpler than you think: focus on the contact point.

“I guess the most important thing is to hit the ball, no? Just put it over the net. Keep your eyes on the ball and watch it hit the racket,” Eala said. In other words, don't overthink it just yet.

Also read: Spot Fitness: A Beginner's Guide to Tennis

Seeing more Filipinos get into tennis because of her has also made Eala more conscious of just how far her influence now reaches. She knew the feeling first as a fan, looking up to former tennis player Li Na because she saw someone from Asia succeeding at the highest level. Now she’s becoming that person for someone else.

“It’s really opened my eyes to the power of representation and what it can do for people—how it can inspire and how it can touch. I feel it now as, I guess, an established player,” Eala said. She doesn’t pretend that carrying that kind of expectation is easy, but it’s one that she believes can shape her for the better. “I see it as an opportunity for me to develop my character, to become more brave, to be more self-confident.”

It’s a big role to grow into when you’re still growing up yourself, especially while doing it so publicly.

“I’m still 21, so at the end of the day, you have to recognize that I’m still growing and I’m still, you know, growing into myself. I give myself grace for a lot of things. For not knowing how to do things—it’s very normal,” Eala said.

“I’m so grateful to everyone who has paved the way before. I think that every single woman who has played tennis has contributed to the progression of the sport, just by doing what they love and working hard. I hope to, in my own little way, leave tennis better than I found it.”