All the way from Mariveles, Bataan, Slazenger tennis balls are used in Wimbledon. Alex Eala's visor also features a special message written in Filipino.
Photos courtesy Sportztrack and Alex Eala/Instagram.
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Alex Eala's sampaguita hair tie during Wimbledon 2025.
Photo courtesy of Nike.
Alex Eala is carrying a piece of the Philippines onto the Wimbledon stage with a customized Nike visor embroidered with the Filipino phrase, "Kapag lumago, hindi na hihinto" ("Once it grows, it cannot be stopped").
The 21-year-old Filipina tennis star debuted the personalized headwear during this year's Wimbledon Championships, continuing her tradition of incorporating Filipino-inspired elements into her Grand Slam attire.
Last year, Eala wore a sampaguita-inspired hair tie that complemented Wimbledon's iconic all-white dress code.
Beyond Eala's gear, the British Embassy in Manila highlighted another Filipino connection to the prestigious tournament: the official Wimbledon tennis balls.
"Did you know? For over 20 years, Slazenger tennis balls used at Wimbledon have been proudly made in Mariveles, Bataan—bringing a piece of the Philippines, alongside Alex Eala, onto the very grass courts where champions rise," the embassy said in a social media post.
Slazenger has been Wimbledon's official tennis ball supplier since 1902. After closing its factory in the United Kingdom in 2002, the company transferred production to its facility in the Freeport Area of Bataan in Mariveles.
While the tennis balls are manufactured in the Philippines, some of the raw materials are sourced from countries including Malaysia, Greece, and New Zealand.
