WATCH: Controversy erupts as Alexandra Eala questions chair umpire over bizarre line calls during SEA Games gold medal match

Controversial scenes came about at the Southeast Asian Games when Alexandra Eala questioned the chair umpire over bizarre line calls during the gold medal match. Despite the issues, the Filipino won the gold medal by a convincing margin.

The 2025 SEA Games are being held in Thailand. In the women's singles tennis event, Eala took on World No. 240 Mananchaya Sawangkaew. The match turned controversial after multiple questionable line calls were made. Eala even approached the chair umpire with the issue. Watch the video below:

One fan on X mentioned several issues that took place during the match. They wrote that there were three straight incorrect line calls, an unusually long break when the Thai player went to the lockers, and even a shoe insole change at 15–0, all of which disrupted the flow of the match.

"The linesman who called 3 successive “out” for Eala balls that were actually in, should be penalized. Too deliberate," another fan wrote.

Despite facing these issues, 20-year-old Eala added another gold medal to the Philippines' impressive tally at the games by winning 6-1, 6-2. She became the first Filipino to win the gold in singles tennis in 26 years at the SEA Games.

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A look at Alexandra Eala's historic 2025 season

Alexandra Eala at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open - Source: Getty

Alexandra Eala enjoyed a historic breakthrough season in 2025, rising from outside the top 130 to inside the top 55 of the WTA rankings by year’s end. She began the year ranked No. 138 and climbed almost 100 places thanks to a series of standout results.

Her season featured a semifinal run at the Miami Open, where she became the first Filipina to reach the last four at a WTA 1000 event, defeating multiple former Grand Slam champions along the way. This performance helped her leap into the top 100.

She also became the first Filipina to reach a WTA final at the Eastbourne Open, making history at that grass event. Rising from the qualifiers, she went on to face defeat against Maya Joint in the final.

Eala added a WTA 125 title in Guadalajara, becoming the first Filipino to win at that level. She also recorded her first Grand Slam main draw victory at the US Open, upsetting a 14th seed, Clara Tauson, and continuing her rise.

By season’s end, she ranked World No. 53, a milestone for Philippine tennis and a sign of her rapid progression on the pro tour.

Edited by Aliasgar Ayaz