Alex Eala is taking the world of tennis by storm — and putting the Philippines on the map because of it.
But before the 20-year-old tennis darling rose through the ranks thanks to her iconic Miami semifinals run earlier this year, there were some Filipinos here and there who were able to make it to the big leagues — albeit in different circumstances.
After Eala became the first Filipino — man or woman — to notch a win in a Grand Slam main draw singles match, One Sports takes a look at the history of tennis in the Philippines and some of the athletes who paved the way.
OPEN ERA
Cecil MamiitYears Active: 1996-2012
Cecil Mamiit was a former professional tennis player who first represented the United States before switching to the Philippines in international competitions in the mid-2000s.
Having turned professional in 1996, Mamiit represented the US in the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour. He had a career-high ranking of world no. 72, which he achieved back in October 1999. Aside from Eala, Mamiit was among those who were able to win in a Grand Slam main draw in singles.
He reached the second round on multiple occasions in the Australian Open and the French Open, and once in the US Open.
He also made appearances in the first round of Wimbledon thrice in his singles career.
But Eala does out nose Mamiit in the distinction of being the first Filipino to win in a Grand Slam main draw singles match, as the former netter was still representing the US when he made those strides in the ATP Tour in the late 90s and the early 2000s.
He only started to play to play for the Philippines in 2005.
Since then, Mamiit was able to nab multiple medals in the Asian Games and in the Southeast Asian Games and had an undefeated streak in the Davis Cup.
Eric TainoYears Active: 1997-2008
Eric Taino had a similar career path to Mamiit, having first represented the US before shifting to play for the Philippines in international competitions.
Enjoying more success in doubles, Taino had only reached the main draw of a Grand Slam singles tournament twice. He played in the first round of the US Open in both 2001, and 2002, unable to move on to the second round.
However, he had second round appearances in men’s doubles in three of the four grand slams, except Wimbledon. But it was also in the All England Club where he had his best result in a Grand Slam, reaching the mixed doubles quarterfinals in 2000.
He reached a career-high ranking of world no. 122 and world no. 52 in singles and doubles, respectively, in the early 2000s. Like Mamiit, he was still flying the flag of the United States during these career milestones and only shifted to playing for the Philippines in 2005.
Together with Mamiit, Taino won the bronze medal in the men’s doubles tournament at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar. He is also a bemedalled athlete in the SEA Games, reaching the podium for the Philippines in 2005 and 2007.
Treat HueyYears Active: 2008-2023
Fil-Am hitter Treat Huey is the sole contemporary of Eala on this list, having also played together in mixed doubles for the national team.
He is also likely the only familiar name to most casual sports fans in the country.
Huey, now 39, made waves in doubles. He had a career-best ranking of world no. 18 back in 2016, a year where he played in three of the main draws of the four Grand Slams.
With eight ATP titles in doubles, Huey has won multiple main draw matches in men’s and mixed doubles — most notable of his runs were reaching the semifinals in Wimbledon for men’s doubles in 2016, and the semis for mixed doubles in the Australian Open earlier that year.
He also reached the men’s doubles finals in Indian Wells in 2013, with partner Jerzy Janowicz but fell short of the title.
While focusing and excelling in doubles, Huey hardly made a mark when it comes to singles, playing only 16 matches on record as a singles player in his professional career.
With Eala, Huey won the bronze medal in the 2022 SEA Games in mixed doubles.
PRE-OPEN ERA
Raymundo Deyro
Raymundo Deyro appeared in multiple editions of the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open in the 1940s and 1950s, achieving his best result at the French Open in 1951 and 1953, where he reached the fourth round in both editions.
A two-time gold medalist in the Asian Games, Deyro also reached the third round in Wimbledon, and the US Open.
His last Grand Slam appearance came in 1955 when he was in his late 20s.
Felicisimo Ampon
Among the contemporaries of Deyro, Felicismo Ampon achieved the best result of a Filipino tennis player in the pre-Open Era, reaching the quarterfinals of the French Open in 1952 and in 1953.
Ampon had Grand Slam appearances across singles, men’s doubles, and mixed doubles in a span of about a decade in the mid 1940s to the early 1950s.
He made most of his appearances in the US Open, playing in four editions. He played thrice in Wimbledon as well, all in singles.
Over in his double career, he reached Wimbledon thrice and was able to make it to the third round.
He also reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in mixed doubles in 1949.
Ampon’s claims to fame also includes holding the Philippine all-time record for most singles and total wins in Davis Cup history.
He passed away in 1997 at the age of 76.
Cesar Carmona
In the national team, Cesar Carmona was known mostly as the doubles partner of Ampon.
But he also had a lot to boast about in singles, having multiple appearances in the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.
He first made his Grand Slam debut in 1946 when he made it to the second round of the US Open.
In 1950, he played in both the French Open and in Wimbledon, where he reached his best result with a third round appearance.
Guillermo “Willie” Hernandez
Before Eala and Huey, Guillermo “Willie” Hernandez was the last among Philippine tennis greats to nab wins in the main draw of a Grand Slam.
Hernandez reached the second round in different years in the Australian Open, the US Open, and Wimbledon.
He first made his Grand Slam singles debut in 1959 in Australia before playing in the US Open and Wimbledon in 1961 and 1962, respectively.
As part of the national team, he won the bronze medal in the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta for men’s doubles. He also has a silver for the team event.
Honorable mentions:
Johnny Jose
- Played in the US Open main draw in 1955 and became an Asian Games gold medalist
Jeson Patrombon
- Played in multiple Grand Slam Boys tournaments in the early 2010s and became a SEA Games gold medalist
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