Carlos Yulo hopes to pick the brain of fellow PSA Athlete of the Year Alex Eala

2026-02-17 - 07:16

MANILA, Philippines – Carlos Yulo has picked the brains of the greatest Filipino athletes of this generation and he wants to do the same with Alex Eala. Yulo hopes to draw lessons from Eala after they were feted as Athletes of the Year by the Philippine Sportswriters Association on Monday, February 16. “I met her before the Olympics. After that, of course, she has been super busy. I’m super excited to meet her soon and get advice from her,” Yulo told reporters in Filipino as Eala missed the awards night at the Diamond Hotel due to her ongoing campaign in the Dubai Tennis Championships. “Of course, each athlete goes through different experiences and faces different challenges.” The mental game is half the battle in sports so Yulo, the Philippines’ only double Olympic gold medalist, has made it a habit to seek the guidance of the likes of weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, pole vaulter EJ Obiena, and boxer Nesthy Petecio. Diaz and Obiena are fellow Athlete of the Year winners. “I often ask Kuya EJ, Ate Hidilyn, and Ate Nesthy for advice. I learn so much from them. All of our Olympians have different stories. They are really inspiring and they motivate me to train harder and work harder in life,” said Yulo. Coming off a stellar 2025 that witnessed him win his third gold medal in the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships, Yulo earned his second straight Athlete of the Year plum from the PSA. Meanwhile, Eala became the first tennis player to win the award following a banner year that saw her ascend to the world top 50 and play on the prestigious Grand Slam stages. “I’m just really happy and proud because a lot of Filipinos are now able to compete at the international level. I hope there would be more of us. Let us show the Filipino spirit in sports,” said Yulo. – Rappler.com