Alexandra Eala had a little slice of home with her as she made a much-anticipated Wimbledon main-draw debut on Tuesday.
Facing defending champion Barbora Krejcikova on Centre Court, the history-making Filipina wore a hair tie featuring the sampaguita, the national flower of the Philippines—a thoughtful gift from her apparel sponsor, Nike.
The white, star-shaped flower was not only on-trend for Wimbledon and its all-white dress code, but also "a reminder of where I come from—and everything that brought me here," the 20-year-old wrote as she showcased her new accessory on Instagram.
The gift came with a heartfelt note from Nike,which referenced the trailblazing steps forward Eala has taken as a pro this year, from her breakout run to the semifinals of the Miami Open to establishing herself firmly inside the Top 100 of the WTA rankings.
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