Carlos Yulo, Alex Eala named 2025 PSA Athletes of the Year

Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo and tennis star Alex Eala will be feted as the Philippine Sportswriters Association’s (PSA) Male and Female Athletes of the Year during its Annual Awards Night on February 16.

Both Yulo and Eala showcased athletic excellence on the global stage in 2025.

Yulo, who is also last year’s PSA Athlete of the Year, captured his third gold medal at the World Gymnastics Championships in Jakarta, Indonesia last October after ruling the vault finals. He also bagged a bronze medal in the floor exercise.

In the Asian Championships in South Korea last June, Yulo won gold in the floor exercise and three bronze medals in the all-around, vault, and parallel bars events.

Eala, meanwhile, had a historic 2025 season.

In March, Eala enjoyed a dream run at the Miami Open, defeating Grand Slam champions Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek en route to the semifinals, where she eventually bowed to American Jessica Pegula.

Her impressive performance propelled her into the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Top 100 and paved the way for her Grand Slam main-draw debuts.

At the US Open, Eala became the first Filipino in the Open Era to win a Grand Slam singles match after upsetting WTA No. 14 Clara Tauson. She later fell to Cristina Bucsa in the Round of 64.

Eala continued her strong campaign in Guadalajara, where she captured her first WTA 125 title in September.

She capped the year by winning a gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games — the Philippines’ first in women’s tennis in 26 years.

The PSA Annual Awards Night will be held on February 16 at the Diamond Hotel Manila.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News