Golden boy Carlos Yulo and tennis darling Alex Eala lead the major contenders vying for the 2025 Athlete of the Year in the coming Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Awards Night.

The two young stars dazzled their way in the year just passed by reaching new heights in their respective fields in another memorable moments for Philippine sports.

In a fitting follow up to his historic two-gold medal romp in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Yulo, 25 reasserted his niche as among the world’s top gymnasts today by copping the gold in vault during the 53rd FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Jakarta, where he also snared a bronze medal in floor exercise.

Yulo was just as dominant in the continent as he also ruled the floor exercise of the Artistic Gymnastics Asian Championships in Jecheon, Korea. On top of that, the Filipino also bagged three bronze medals in the same tournament.

Eala, 20, scored a breakthrough year by becoming the first Filipina netter to reach the Top 50 in the WTA following her memorable run in the semifinals of the Miami Open in March, to winning a first ever WTA 125 title in Mexico, and capping 2025 with the country’s first tennis gold in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand after 26 years.

Their respective feats gave Philippine sports a new high, putting them in top contention for the coveted Athlete of the Year honor being handed out by the country’s oldest media organization during its annual gala slated this 2 February at the Diamond Hotel.

Also crowding out Eala and Yulo for the year’s top honor are golfer Miguel Tabuena, pool player Chezka Centeno, and swimmer Kayla Sanchez.

Tabuena topped the biggest golf tournament the country ever hosted — the International Series Philippines that featured the likes of Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed and won the top prize of $360,000.

Centeno on the other hand, crowned herself as the WPA Women’s 10-Ball world champion by beating Rubilen Amit in a thrilling all-Filipino finale.

And Sanchez emerged as the most bemedalled Filipino athlete in the 33rd edition of the SEA Games by claiming three golds and five silvers for a grand total of eight medals in her first ever stint in the biennial showcase.

Also to be handed out by the PSA are the President’s Award, Lifetime Achievement Award, Executive of the Year, and National Sports Association of the Year.