Alex Eala is becoming not only the next big thing in tennis, but also an icon for the Philippines. 

Eala recently made history by becoming the first Filipina to reach the WTA Top 20, climbing to a career-high No. 18. Now, the 21-year-old is competing on an even bigger stage: The U.S Open.

Her journey continues to inspire others, from her humble beginnings in the Philippines to becoming a powerful representation of the Southeast Asian community.

Dreaming Big

Eala was born and raised in Quezon City, Philippines, and picked up a tennis racket for the first time at the age of four. The majority of her career has been influenced by her grandfather, Roberto “Bobby” Maniego, who was her first coach and introduced her to tennis. 

“When I look back, I think the most important thing is to dream big, and I always had huge dreams,” Eala said.

Tennis is in her blood. Her older brother Michael “Miko” Eala played tennis for the Penn State University Nittany Lions, graduating in 2024. 

“For someone who grew up in the Philippines, I went to train with my brother and grandfather after school,” Eala said in a post-game conference after a pivotal win against Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon. “My ruffled socks and lightup shoes and chubby cheeks, to my [younger self] this is everything.”

Eala came from a country where there wasn’t elite training for tennis. She gained her skill through her grandfather, brother, and love for the game. Her passion for tennis led to early career success which gave her an opportunity to train at the Nadal Academy in Spain. The academy was founded by tennis legend Rafael Nadal in 2016.

Without many Filipino tennis players to look up to at the highest level, Eala learned to imagine those possibilities for herself.

“I always had a really strong imagination when I would train or compete as a kid,” Eala said.

Eala talks a lot about visioning, something she used when she was younger to make it seem like she was playing on the big center courts. Now, her vivid imagination has become a reality. 

Pinoy Pride 

Through her success, Eala has built a strong fan-base across the world, but most notably from the Philippines, her home country. Filipinos can be spotted across the crowd when she competes, waving the country’s flag with pride. She has reached icon status after making history as the first Filipino to win a WTA Tour singles title, defeating Jessica Pegula.

“Having my country cheering me on, knowing that we are all in this together, this goes out to them,” Eala said after a big win at Wimbledon earlier this year.

Her rapid rise to fame has made her reflect on her journey and her perspective as an athlete and overall person. 

“Being a competitive athlete, especially at this level, of course comes with pressure,” Eala said. “Everybody has pressure built into their lives at one point, look at the everyday Filipino. My parents have put food on the table for me and my brother and have sacrificed so much. I can only imagine the pressure that they have been through.”

Eala has brought hope and unity for the Filipino people. She has given the country a reason to watch women’s tennis and is a representation for young athletes coming from underrepresented backgrounds.

“I think representation is so important,” Eala said. “I think representation goes beyond nationality, it is so mutli-dimensional.”

She is proud to have a platform that allows her to inspire young girls who come from similar circumstances. 

“Representation is being able to see yourself in someone else,” Eala said. “I think if I am able to do that for other people then I’d be really happy.” 

“This goes out to all the little girls with ruffled socks and chubby cheeks.”

“Representation is being able to see yourself in someone else. I think if I am able to do that for other people then I’d be really happy. This goes out to all the little girls with ruffled socks and chubby cheeks.”

Alex Eala

A Disruptor on the Court 

Eala's breakthrough came at the 2025 Miami Open. Ranked No. 140 and competing as a wild card, she defeated world No. 2 Iga Swiatek in the quarterfinals.

She went from being ranked 140th to 75th in seven days.

Now, Eala is competing at the 2026 US Open as the tournament's No. 17 seed, entering with a career-high ranking of No. 18. She has also become the first Filipino player to reach the third round of the tournament's singles main draw.

But despite her recent success, Eala doesn’t plan to settle.

“I’ve dreamed of opportunities like this,” Eala said. “When I have opportunities I have to take it.”