What Alex Eala Said About Teaming Up With Venus Williams

Dara Clariza Evangelista
Jun 4
3 min read

There are tennis partnerships that look good on paper, and then there are pairings that feel like a quiet full-circle moment. Alex Eala teaming up with Venus Williams at the Bad Homburg Open belongs to the second kind.

The Filipina tennis star has been confirmed to play doubles with Williams in Bad Homburg, giving her the rare opportunity to share the court with one of the most influential names in the sport. For Eala, the excitement is clear.

“I am really, really excited,” Eala said of the partnership.

It is easy to understand why. Williams is not only a former world No. 1 and a seven-time Grand Slam champion. She is also one of the athletes who helped shape the modern image of women’s tennis as powerful, visible, and commercially undeniable. Her career has long stood for more than titles. It has also stood for space, presence, and the right of women athletes to be seen at the highest level.

Eala recognized that in the way she spoke about Williams.

“Venus is such a trailblazer and continues to do so much and has done so much for the sport,” she said.

For a young athlete like Eala, who continues to carry Philippine tennis into bigger international conversations, playing beside Williams feels symbolic. It is not just about sharing a doubles draw. It is about standing beside someone whose career helped make more room for the next generation of women in sport.

“I like to say that women’s tennis has been a trailblazer for women’s sports and she is a big part of why that is,” Eala added.

Williams, now 45, has also been a force in doubles. She is a former world No. 1 in doubles and has won 22 doubles titles in her career. That kind of experience brings a different kind of weight to the court. For Eala, who has been building her own path through the professional circuit, the partnership offers both a competitive challenge and a learning moment.

Before Bad Homburg, Eala recently played doubles with Nikola Bartunkova at the Birmingham Open. Their run ended in the first round, but Eala still spoke warmly about the match and her partner.

“Of course, with Nikola, who’s such a nice person and a great player. We had a very tight match yesterday and I really do wish that we could have gone a bit further,” she said.

“And yeah, I’m happy. I’m happy with our performance.”

That calmness feels important. Eala is still young, but there is already a steadiness in how she talks about progress. She can acknowledge disappointment without making it the whole story. She can look at a close loss and still take something from it. That mindset matters, especially in a sport where momentum can change from one match to the next.

For now, Eala is also focused on the singles draw of the Birmingham Open, where she reached the second round after a dominant 6-0, 6-2 win over Priscilla Hon. As the tournament’s No. 1 seed, she is set to face the winner between Germany’s Greet Minnen and Russia’s Alina Charaeva.

But the upcoming Bad Homburg doubles pairing with Venus Williams is the kind of moment that naturally draws attention. For Filipino fans, it is another reminder of how far Eala’s journey has already taken her. For women’s tennis, it is a meeting between legacy and promise. One player helped open doors. The other is walking through them, carrying a country with her.