By MARK REY MONTEJO
As Alex Eala wrapped up her campaign in the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Toronto, Canada, netizens couldn’t help but notice the color of her uniform or tennis kit.
Some blamed the kind of color – pink – she used when she lost to world No. 14 and former champion Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, 4-6, 0-6, in the Last 16.
The defeat, they said, could have been avoided had Eala kept on wearing green – just like during her triumph at the Mubadala D.C. Open in Washington D.C.
The colors green and pink, particularly among Filipinos, carry deep meaning as they have become closely associated with some of the country’s biggest names in politics.
But is Eala’s apparel related to politics at all? Certainly not.
Rather, her uniform is part of her endorsement deal as a global ambassador for Nike, one of athletic footwear and apparel giants around the globe.
There are no set rules on how many times a Nike-sponsored tennis player changes outfits during a season but mostly of them switch ahead of new tournaments. However, it is common for players under the brand to wear similar colorways, as seen with Eala alongside Japan’s Naomi Osaka, Mirra Andreeva, and China’s Zheng Qinwen, to name a few.
Believing in Eala’ talent, Nike even gifted her a specialized sampaguita blossom-inspired hair tie during last year’s Wimbledon where she marked her main draw debut.
Eala also visited the Nike World Headquarters in Oregon, USA earlier this year with the establishment features some of her photos among them are the iconic “History in full bloom.”
A year later after her maiden Wimbledon appearance, Eala was honored by Nike anew with a visor which its back was embroidered with a Filipino phrase, “Kapag lumago, hindi na hihinto.”
But in the coming US Open, Eala is reportedly going to don blue with shades of black and white.
Before plunging into U.S Open action, the Southeast Asian Games champion is expected to enter the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open fray which opens this week in Mason, Ohio.
