Tennis legend Maria Sharapova was among the prominent figures who praised Alex Eala following the Filipina's historic win at Wimbledon.
After stunning world No. 3 Iga Swiatek, Alex became the first Filipina in the Open Era to reach the Round of 16, the second week, of a Grand Slam tournament.
The official Wimbledon Instagram account shared a clip of Alex's winning moment, which drew reactions from fans and personalities around the world.
Among those who commented was Maria, who wrote: "A star!"
Maria is one of the most accomplished players in tennis history. The former world No. 1 spent 21 weeks atop the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings and captured 36 WTA Tour singles titles, including five Grand Slam championships. She is also one of only a select group of women to complete the career Grand Slam in singles.
Alex has long spoken about admiring the tennis icon.
"I looked up to so many players, but my super idol is Maria Sharapova, the way she plays, her mentality, and the way she presented herself," Alex relayed in a 2025 interview with spin.ph.
"I was probably five when I first saw her. She was always dressed nicely, she was loved by everyone, and I wasn’t an exception," she added.
Following her landmark victory and reaching Round 16, Alex became emotional as she reflected on what the achievement meant to her and to aspiring athletes from the Philippines.
"I'm 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… You know I went to train with my brother and my grandfather every day after school with my ruffled socks and my light-up shoes and chubby cheeks," she said in a courtside interview.
READ: Alex Eala meets Princess Kate at 2026 Wimbledon
Previously, Alex became the first Filipina to defeat two Top 10 players at the Miami Open in March 2025 and the first Filipina to win a Grand Slam singles main-draw match at the U.S. Open in August 2025.