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Alexandra Eala

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Alexandra Eala
Eala at the 2025 SEA Games
Full nameAlexandra Maniego Eala
Country (sports) Philippines
ResidenceMetro Manila, Philippines
Mallorca, Spain
Born (2005-05-23) May 23, 2005 (age 21)
Quezon City, Philippines
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned proMarch 2020
PlaysLeft-handed (two-handed backhand)
CoachJoan Bosch
Alexandro Viaene
Lluc Bauza (Fitness Coach)
Prize moneyUS 1,997,574
Singles
Career record212–130 (61.99%)
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 29 (March 16, 2026)
Current rankingNo. 37 (May 25, 2026)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open1R (2026)
French Open1R (2025)
Wimbledon1R (2025)
US Open2R (2025)
Doubles
Career record48–46 (51.06%)
Career titles0
Highest rankingNo. 88 (May 4, 2026)
Current rankingNo. 116 (May 25, 2026)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open1R (2026)
French Open2R (2025)
Wimbledon1R (2025)
Medal record
Representing the  Philippines
SEA Games
Gold medal – first place 2025 Thailand Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2025 Thailand Team
Bronze medal – third place 2025 Thailand Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Team
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Hangzhou Singles
Bronze medal – third place2022 HangzhouMixed doubles
Last updated on: May 25, 2026.

Alexandra Eala (born May 23, 2005) is a Filipino tennis player. She became the country’s highest-ranked, reaching world No. 29 in March 2026.[1] She is the first Filipino in the top 30. She has wins over top-20 players, multiple ITF titles, a WTA challenger title, and a WTA final.[2]

As a junior, Eala ranked No. 2 and won the 2022 US Open girls’ singles — the Philippines’ first junior Grand Slam — and doubles titles at the 2020 Australian Open and 2021 French Open.[3]

Since turning pro, Eala has competed in Grand Slam events. She reached the second round of the 2025 US Open (singles) and French Open (doubles). Her breakthrough came at the 2025 Miami Open, where she reached the semifinals and was compared to Manny Pacquiao.[4]

Early life

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Alexandra Maniego Eala was born on May 23, 2005, in Quezon City, Philippines. Her father was Michael Eala, a business executive.[5] Her mother was Rosemarie "Rizza" Maniego-Eala, former Globe Telecom CFO and SEA Games swimming medalist. She is the niece of sports official Noli Eala.[6] Her brother Michael "Miko" Eala played tennis for Pennsylvania State University.[7]

Eala started tennis at age four. She was coached by her grandfather Roberto "Bobby" Maniego.[8] She later studied at Immaculate Conception Academy and Colegio San Agustin – Makati. Later she trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, where she graduated in 2023.[9]

Juniors

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At twelve, Eala won the Les Petits As title in France.[10] Later she won junior doubles titles at the 2020 Australian Open with Priska Nugroho and the 2021 French Open with Oksana Selekhmeteva.[11] She made history with the 2022 US Open girls’ singles crown, the Philippines’ first junior Grand Slam singles win.[12]

Professional career

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Eala turned professional in 2020. She started on the ITF Women’s Circuit in Spain and Tunisia.[13]

In 2021, she won her first singles title at ITF W15 Manacor, earning recognition from Rafael Nadal.[14]

In 2022, she added another singles crown at ITF W25 Chiang Rai. She reached the finals and semifinals at W60 Madrid and Vitoria-Gasteiz.[15]

In 2023, Eala won ITF W15 Yecla and ITF W25 Roehampton.[15] She also entered the qualifying draw of the Australian Open, marking her first attempt at a Grand Slam event.[16]

In 2024, she claimed her biggest ITF singles crown at the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz. She won three doubles titles.[15] She continued to compete in qualifiers across the Grand Slam circuit.[16]

Her breakthrough came in 2025 on the WTA Tour. Eala reached the Miami Open semifinal against Jessica Pegula.[17] She played the Eastbourne Open final.[18] She won her first WTA125 singles title at Guadalajara.[19] She made her Grand Slam main-draw debut, advancing to the second round in doubles at the French Open, and later reached the second round of the US Open, her best result to date.[16]

In 2026, Eala reached the semifinals in singles and doubles at the ASB Classic in Auckland,[20] the doubles semifinals and singles quarterfinals at the Abu Dhabi Open,[21] and quarterfinals at the WTA125 Philippine Women’s Open and Dubai Tennis Championships.[22][23] She competed in the main draw of the Australian Open.[16] She advanced to the fourth rounds at the "Sunshine Double"[a] (Indian Wells Open and Miami Open),[24][25] rising to a career-high singles ranking of World No. 29.[26]

Playing style

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Eala plays from the baseline and likes to attack with her shots.[27] As a lefty, she uses her strong forehand and steady two‑handed backhand to control rallies.[28] Her returns are good because she adds topspin and reads the ball well. Her serve is weaker since it is not very fast or varied. Coaches say she should work on adding more power, staying consistent, thinking of more tactics, and improving her fitness.[29]

Representation for the Philippines

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She won bronze medals at the 2021 Southeast Asian Games and the 2022 Asian Games, helped the Philippines gain promotion in the 2024 Billie Jean King Cup, and won gold in singles at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games.[30][31][32][33]

Endorsements

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Eala began endorsing Globe Telecom at age eight and has since partnered with Babolat, Nike, the Bank of the Philippine Islands, and became a Milo brand ambassador.[34][35][36][37][38]

Accolades

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She has won several Philippine Sportswriters Association awards.[39] In 2021, Tatler Asia listed her as one of Asia’s most influential people.[40]

Year-end rankings

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YearSinglesDoubles
2021529780
2022219594
2023205436
2024158239
202550161
  • As of January 5, 2026 [41]

Notes

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  1. ↑ The Sunshine Double is the back-to-back pairing of the Indian Wells Masters and Miami Open, two elite ATP Masters 1000 and WTA 1000 tournaments held each March. Starting in California and finishing in Florida, the three‑week stretch is known for its sunny weather and demanding schedule, making it the most prestigious combined event series outside the Grand Slams.

References

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  1. ↑ Castillejo, Dyan (March 16, 2026). "Alex Eala rises to career-high World No. 29 in latest WTA rankings". ABS-CBN NEws.
  2. ↑ "WTA: Alexandra Eala profile". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Alexandra Eala Junior Grand Slam record". International Tennis Federation. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  4. ↑ Futterman, Matthew. "Alex Eala returns to the Miami Open, where a dream run launched a tennis phenomenon". The Athletic. The New York Times. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  5. ↑ Jara-Puyod, Mariecar. "'Eala's grit, humility and passion have captured every Filipino's heart,' says Philippine Ambassador Alfonso Ver". Gulf Today. Gulf Today. Retrieved March 26, 2026.
  6. ↑ Acebuche, Yoniel (March 28, 2025). "Alex Eala: What to know about the tennis phenom making history on the court". The Philippine Star. Archived from the original on August 28, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  7. ↑ Castillejo, Dyan (May 6, 2024). "Filipino athletes graduate as part of Penn State's class of 2024". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on March 23, 2025. Retrieved November 5, 2025.
  8. ↑ Hilotin, Jay (August 28, 2025). "Alex Eala: Rapid rise in tennis rankings, what's next?". Gulf News. Archived from the original on November 6, 2025. Retrieved January 13, 2026.
  9. ↑ Mina, Rosy (October 22, 2022). "How Alex Eala became a world-class tennis champion". ABS-CBN News. Archived from the original on March 30, 2025. Retrieved March 30, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Lilov & Eala win at Les Petits As". Tennis Europe. January 28, 2018. Archived from the original on February 1, 2018. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  11. ↑ Go, Beatrice (June 12, 2021). "Alex Eala, Selekhmeteva crowned 2021 French Open girls doubles champions". Rappler. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  12. ↑ Dioquino, Delphin (September 11, 2022). "History for PH as Alex Eala captures US Open girls' singles crown". Rappler. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved August 27, 2025.
  13. ↑ Go, Beatrice (March 5, 2020). "Alex Eala advances to 2nd round of Tunisia pro tournament". Rappler. Retrieved August 31, 2025.
  14. ↑ "Eala, 15, earns praise from Nadal after winning first ITF pro title". ITF tennis. January 5, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  15. 1 2 3 "Eala ITF titles". ITF tennis. Retrieved October 5, 2025.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "WTA: Alexandra Eala profile". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved March 25, 2026.
  17. ↑ Futterman, Matthew (March 28, 2025). "Alexandra Eala's wild run in Miami comes to an end in semifinals loss to Jessica Pegula". The New York Times. Retrieved September 1, 2025.
  18. ↑ Clarito, Ariel Ian (June 28, 2025). "Alex Eala comes inches short in heartbreaking final as Maya Joint rules Eastbourne Open". Rappler. Retrieved June 28, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Alex Eala wins first WTA singles title with comeback victory at Guadalajara 125 Open". One Sports. September 7, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  20. ↑ Satumbaga-Villar, Krystel (January 10, 2026). "Alex Eala succumbs to Chinese rival in Auckland semis". The Manila Bulletin. Retrieved January 10, 2026.
  21. ↑ Gasgonia, Dennis (February 5, 2026). "Alex Eala bows out of Abu Dhabi quarterfinals in loss to Russia's Alexandrova". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved February 5, 2026.
  22. ↑ Agcaoili, Lance (January 29, 2026). "Alex Eala exits WTA Philippine Open, bows to Camila Osorio". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved January 29, 2026.
  23. ↑ Ballesteros, Jan (February 19, 2026). "Alex Eala succumbs to world No. 4 Coco Gauff in Dubai quarterfinals". onesports.ph. Retrieved February 19, 2026.
  24. ↑ Naredo, Camille B. (March 11, 2026). "Alex Eala bows out of Indian Wells with loss to Linda Nosková". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  25. ↑ "Alex Eala bows out of Miami Open in loss to Karolina Muchova". ABS-CBN News. March 24, 2026. Retrieved March 24, 2026.
  26. ↑ Castillejo, Dyan (March 16, 2026). "Alex Eala rises to career-high World No. 29 in latest WTA rankings". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved March 16, 2026.
  27. ↑ Tignor, Steve (March 26, 2025). "Is Nadal Academy prodigy Alexandra Eala the next tennis star?". Tennis.com. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  28. ↑ Caramoan, Miguel Alfonso (January 19, 2026). "What's next for Alex Eala after 2026 Australian Open first-round exit?". ESPN. Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  29. ↑ "Alex Eala told where she can improve: Martina Navratilova offers advice". Tennis365. March 10, 2026. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  30. ↑ Carandang, Justin Kenneth (May 20, 2022). "Tennis ace Alex Eala settles for bronze in women's singles". GMA News. Archived from the original on June 1, 2022. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  31. ↑ Payo, Jasmine (September 29, 2023). "Alex Eala bags 2nd Asian Games bronze with Alcantara in doubles". Rappler. Retrieved September 10, 2025.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  32. ↑ Morales, Luisa (December 2, 2024). "Alex Eala relishes leading Team Philippines to BJK Cup promotion in Bahrain". Onesports. Retrieved October 13, 2025.
  33. ↑ Agcaoili, Lance (December 18, 2025). "Alex Eala wins SEA Games tennis gold, ends long drought for PH". Inquirer.net. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  34. ↑ "Alex Eala Opens Up About Life, Wins, & What Keeps Her Going". www.globe.com.ph. July 21, 2025. Retrieved January 12, 2026.
  35. ↑ "Babolat Tennis Pro Players and Ambassadors". Babolat. Retrieved August 27, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  36. ↑ Caniza, Annika (March 6, 2023). "Look: Nike Customizes Alex Eala Kicks to Commemorate US Open Victory". The Game. One Mega. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved April 23, 2025.
  37. ↑ "Champ's choice: Alex Eala signs up as BPI's newest endorser". Bilyonaryo. January 25, 2023. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved July 2, 2025.
  38. ↑ Manahan, Millie (February 23, 2026). "MILO Active Pilipinas launched with Eala as new ambassador". Manila Standard. Retrieved February 24, 2026.
  39. ↑ Citations for Eala's PSA Annual Awards:
  40. ↑ "Tatler Asia's Most Influential: Philippines". Tatler Asia. Retrieved October 20, 2025.
  41. ↑ "Alexandra Eala Player Stats (WTA Official)". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved May 22, 2026.

Other websites

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    Retrieved from "https://simple.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Alexandra_Eala&oldid=10922521"