At just 19, Alex Eala is making a name for herself and creating a buzz in the tennis world with her remarkable performance at the Miami Open. This young Filipina has managed to defy odds, making her journey to the second week of the prestigious WTA 1000 event a compelling story worth telling.
Eala’s journey to tennis stardom began in her hometown, Quezon City. Born into a family with an impressive sports pedigree, Eala’s mother, Rosemarie, was a representative for the Philippines in swimming at the Southeast Asian Games. The athletic gene was passed on to Alex who showed an early aptitude for tennis.
At the tender age of 12, Eala claimed her first major victory at the Les Petit As in 2018, defeating Linda Noskova in the final. A year later, she made her junior Grand Slam debut at the 2019 US Open at just 14 years old. Eala continued to build her tennis resume, winning the girls’ doubles title at the 2020 Australian Open alongside Priska Madelyn Nugroho, and reaching the semi-finals of the girls’ singles at Roland Garros the same year.
Eala’s crowning achievement in her junior career came in 2022 when she triumphed in the US Open girls’ singles event. Her victory not only marked a significant breakthrough for the young star but also made her the first Filipino player to win a junior singles Grand Slam title. Her performance also catapulted her to a high of world No 2 in the junior rankings.
Despite her impressive junior career, Eala’s transition into the senior game has had its fair share of challenges. The young star has yet to make her Grand Slam main draw debut, falling short in the third round of qualifying at the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in 2024. However, she has been granted wildcards into the main draw of the Miami Open in 2022 and 2023, and at the Madrid Open in 2023 and 2024, where she won her first-round match in the last season.
Despite the setbacks, Eala has proven her mettle on more than one occasion. She’s a proud winner of five ITF singles titles and three doubles titles, with her career-best world ranking at No 134 in January 2025.
Eala’s current Miami Open journey is nothing short of historic. With a wildcard into the main draw, she claimed her first victory at the tournament with a win over Katie Volynets. But her true moment of glory came when she stunned former French Open champion and 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko, and recent Australian Open champion and fifth seed Madison Keys. This makes Eala the first Filipino player, regardless of gender, to beat a top-10 ranked player and reach the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event.
With her current world ranking at 140, Eala is set for a career-high ranking surge post the Miami Open. Projections suggest a leap to world No 117, putting her tantalizingly close to the top 100, should she triumph over tenth seed Paula Badosa.
Eala’s stellar performance at the Miami Open has caught the attention of tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who has been closely following her career since she trained at his academy in Manacor at the age of 12. Nadal expressed his congratulations on social media after her victories over Ostapenko and Keys, marking her as a rising star to watch.
In conclusion, Alex Eala is a young tennis sensation making waves on the international scene. Her journey has been a testament to tenacity and talent, and she represents a bright future for Philippine tennis.
