Alex Eala Wins Historic U.S. Open Pro Debut — And Filipinos' Hearts By Swearing - YouTube

Alex Eala once again captured the hearts of Filipino fans with a historic first-round victory at the US Open on Monday, Aug. 25 (Philippine time)—made even more memorable by a viral moment where she was caught mouthing a Filipino curse word.

It happened when the 20-year-old tennis star scored against her opponent, world No. 14 Clara Tauson of Denmark, during the intense rally of their match.

In the close-up shot, Eala was seen mouthing “P***** i**” while smiling.

The moment quickly went viral, with social media users expressing their amusement.

“Alex Eala’s put*ng ina at the US Open is the only put*ng ina I tolerate,” writer Jerry Gracio posted on X.

“[A]lex [E]ala welcome to the ‘filo athletes screaming p********’ compilation club,” another X user wrote.

“The first p*tang ina ever caught on camera in a grand slam. Pinoy na pinoy ka nga Alex!” another one wrote.

Visual artist Kevin Raymundo also made an artwork inspired by the viral candid moment.

 

Why did it become viral?

While athletes losing their cool and cursing during intense games isn’t unusual, it’s not always a sign of pure anger. Dr. Lakandupil Caparanga Garcia, a linguistics expert, explained that Filipinos’ use of profanity, specifically “p***** i**,” is an outburst in intense situations.

“Even a Filipina mother has that nerve to shout, sabihin sa mga anak, ‘P***** *n* niyo, uwi kayo.’ Kasi yung outburst of feelings, ‘yun talaga lang ‘yun,” Garcia told PhilSTAR L!fe.

“In the case of Alex Eala, mapapansin mo dun sa video, hirap siya e, nahihirapan siya…nandoon ‘yung tension, nandoon ‘yung pressure na kailangan manalo siya,” he said.

“Pero look at the facial expression, nakangiti,” Garcia noted, reiterating that it was merely an expression as she celebrates the point against her opponent.

Many Pinoys also found the unfiltered moment relatable, with one saying the curse word “can really sum up A LOT of feelings.”

Aside from that, Garcia noted that many Pinoys found it funny because they “didn’t see it coming.”

“It came from an Eala, a rich and famous family,” Garcia said. ICYDK, Eala is born to a sports-oriented family, with her mother, Rizza Maniego-Eala, a bronze medalist in the 100m backstroke swimming event of the 1985 Bangkok SEA Games, and her brother, Miko, who is an alum of the Penn State Men’s Tennis.

“It came as an impromptu outburst of feeling,” he added.

Eala had previously drawn laughs when she lip-synced to a viral “Sumakses” meme video after her historic wins during her Miami Open run in March.