Carlos Yulo, Alex Eala share Athlete of the Year honors from PH sportswriting org

MANILA, Philippines – Gymnastics star Carlos Yulo and tennis ace Alex Eala left their mark on the world stage in 2025.

And in doing so, the two are going to be feted as Athletes of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) during its Annual Awards Night on February 16 at the Diamond Hotel Manila. 

This marks the first time that the PSA named male and female co-Athletes of the Year since boxing legend Manny Pacquiao and golfer Jennifer Rosales shared the honor in 2004. 

“Their exemplary performances on the international stage, and more importantly, the way they have inspired countless young athletes to chase their own path for greatness, are enough reasons to crown both Alex and Carlos as the year’s top performers in sports,” said PSA president Francis Ochoa, sports editor of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

Yulo, 25, will capture the award for the second straight year after being the sole winner in 2024 following his double gold coup in the Paris Olympics.

Proving he remains at the top of his game despite a long break that followed his historic Olympic campaign, Yulo won the floor exercise title in the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships for the fourth straight year on top of bronzes in all-around, vault, and parallel bars in South Korea. 

Yulo then won his third gold medal in the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Indonesia as he reclaimed his vault crown to go with a bronze in floor exercise.

Meanwhile, 20-year-old Eala will bring home the Athlete of the Year plum for the first time following a splendid year that saw her rise to a top-50 player in the world.

Her ascent began in the Miami Open, where Eala barged into the semifinals of the WTA 1000 event as an unassuming wild card following electrifying victories over Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys, and Jelena Ostapenko.

That Miami Open run allowed Eala to break into the world top 100 for the first time, an achievement that earned her direct entry into the main draw of Grand Slam events.

After first-round exits in the French Open and Wimbledon, Eala finally broke through in the US Open, beating Clara Tauson in the opening round to become the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam main draw match in the Open era.

Eala’s other 2025 highlights included her first WTA Tour final appearance in the Eastbourne Open in Great Britain, her first WTA 125 title in the Guadalajara Open in Mexico, and her first gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. – Rappler.com