Carlos Yulo, Alex Eala share spotlight as PSA honors them with co-Athlete of Year honors 

Two Filipino athletes who turned 2025 into a year of belief, brilliance, and global respect will headline the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Annual Awards Night, as Carlos Yulo and Alex Eala are named the Male and Female Athletes of the Year.

In a rare decision that underscores the magnitude of their achievements, the country’s oldest media organization will honor both stars in the same year — a first in 22 years — when the PSA stages its traditional awards gala on February 16 at the Diamond Hotel Manila, in partnership with San Miguel Corp.

From packed arenas in Asia to tennis courts under the brightest lights of the sport, Yulo and Eala carried the Philippine flag with poise and power, showing that Filipino excellence can thrive anywhere in the world.

“This marks the first time in 22 years the PSA named a male and female co-Athletes of the Year,” with the last instance coming in 2004 when Manny Pacquiao and Jennifer Rosales shared the honor.

Yulo, now 25, becomes a repeat awardee after also being recognized in 2024. Eala, just 20, earns her first PSA Athlete of the Year citation — a milestone that mirrors her rapid rise in global tennis

“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.

Fresh off his historic double-gold performance at the Paris Olympics, Yulo refused to slow down. The gymnast from Leveriza, Manila quickly returned to competition and dominated the Asian Artistic Gymnastics Championships in South Korea, capturing his fourth straight floor exercise gold while also claiming bronze medals in the parallel bars, vault, and individual all-around.

Later in the year, Yulo reaffirmed his place among the world’s elite at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Indonesia, soaring to gold in the vault and adding another bronze in floor exercise at the 53rd edition of the meet.

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WELL-DESERVED RECOGNITIONS

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala and gymnastics golden boy Carlos Yulo are set to be named co-Athletes of the Year at the 2025 PSA Awards on February 16, honoring their historic achievements for the Philippines.#AlexEala #CarlosYulo pic.twitter.com/NfCovEYQYC

— One Sports (@OneSportsPHL) January 16, 2026

While Yulo ruled the air, Eala made her own breakthrough on the ground — rewriting Philippine tennis history one tournament at a time.

A product of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, Eala’s 2025 surge began with a stunning run at the Miami Open, where the then world No. 140 entered as a wildcard and stunned the tennis world.

She eliminated former French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko, reigning Australian Open winner Madison Keys, and five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Swiatek en route to a semifinal appearance that announced her arrival as a rising force.

That run ignited a year of firsts. Eala cracked the WTA Top 50, became the first Filipino in the Open era to compete in the Wimbledon singles main draw, captured her first WTA 125 title in Guadalajara, and etched her name in Grand Slam history by winning a US Open main-draw match — another Open-era first for the Philippines.

She capped her banner year with a gold medal at the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, ending a 26-year drought in Philippine women’s singles tennis and completing a season that resonated far beyond rankings and trophies.

For PSA, honoring Yulo and Eala together is not just about medals won, but about moments created — moments that reminded a nation of what is possible.

As the spotlight turns to February 16, the awards night will celebrate more than individual triumphs. It will celebrate two athletes who, in different arenas, carried the same message: Filipinos belong on the world stage.

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