IN THE WORLD of sports, the underdog frequently rises to inspire and change the course of history. Most of the time, it is their stories that light up the crowd and inspire a nation’s pride.
Even though a week has passed, the hype surrounding Alex Eala, a 19-year-old tennis sensation from the Philippines, remains high, as she has emerged as one of the most promising young athletes of her generation.
Photo Courtesy: Alex Eala | Instagram
With her recent accomplishments on the court, along with her unyielding determination and tenacity, Eala is not only creating waves in the tennis world, but also playing an important part in reforming sports in the country.
She epitomizes the power of one—a single person, one athlete, having an amazing impact on an entire country. However, how did a young Eala get involved in this activity and grow to be so successful?
The Filipina Prodigy
Alex was born on May 23, 2005, to businessman Mike Eala, and Rizza Maniego-Eala, a former national team swimmer and SEA games medalist.
She started practicing at the age of four and hasn’t stopped since, devoting endless hours to perfecting her craft. Since then, the Filipina prodigy has emerged as a formidable force in the world of tennis.
Photo Courtesy: Alex Eala | Instagram
At the age of 12, Eala established herself successfully and won the 2018 Les Petit As 14-and-under competition, defeating Linda Nosková in the finals, before making her junior major debut at the 2019 US Open.
That same year, she was named the 2019 Milo Junior Athlete of the Year. Eala then won the 2020 Australian girls’ doubles event alongside Priska Madelyn Nugroho, defeating Ziva Falkner and Matilda Mutavdzic in the final.
Meanwhile, full of confidence, Eala peaked in the junior rankings at No. 2 after reaching the semifinals of the 2020 French Open girls’ singles competition.
As the tournament’s top seed, she won the girls’ doubles title alongside Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva. In the final, the pair defeated Russian Maria Bondarenko and Hungarian Amarissa Kiara Toth.
In September 2022, Eala became the first Filipino player to win a junior Grand. Slam singles champion and the sole Filipino with multiple junior major titles.
She defeated the No. 2 seed from the Czech Republic, Lucie Havliková, in the US Open girls’ singles final in New York. Everyone knew Eala had a promising future ahead of her.
Stood Her Ground
In an interview with republicasia, experienced sports journalist and expert Bill Velasco, who has covered Eala since her early days in the sport, stated that it was not a smooth journey for her. She stood firm, though.
“Prior to the Miami Open, she was really struggling, particularly against top 100 players. She wasn’t doing too well and got knocked out early, but it’s part of the growth pains,” Velasco said.
“She’s been overseas since she was 13, but in terms of competition, there’s several big jumps you have to make along the way eh, lalo na kapag women’s tennis,” the veteran journalist went on to explain.
Photo Courtesy: Alex Eala | Instagram
Starting the year with early exits, Eala may have viewed the 2025 WTA 1000 Miami Open as a training ground, entering as a wild card. To her surprise, she managed to finish her season with stunning victories over higher world-ranked opponents.
Before meeting World No. 4 Jessica Pegula in the semi-finals and ending her Cinderella run, she defeated Grand Slam champions Jeļena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek.
A Perfect Timing
Velasco believed that Eala’s triumphs were perfectly timed. This is because tennis was a week-long event, and there isn’t much going on in sports during that period, particularly on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
“It elevated the story and made it even more pronounced. It’s also very similar to Manny Pacquiao’s jump into popularity, which was exactly 20 years ago,” Velasco explained, talking about how Eala woke the country up.
“The economy wasn’t doing so well, the people were in turmoil, the price of gasoline and rice was an issue. So people were looking for an outlet, for release, and for a hero.”
“Tamang tama women’s month pa, so all of these things snowballed the recognition of her achievement. So kumbaga, the timing couldn’t have been more perfect for her,” he went on to say.
Funding Needs to be Better
While Eala’s success has been the main point of discussion throughout that time. However, other fans have emphasized how her family has taken on the responsibility of paying for her global tour. Which, according to Velasco, is the country’s main concern.
“The main issue there is, and a lot of people know it, the family has really been shouldering most of the expenses for Alex. The problem for tennis is, you have to keep playing and you have to keep travelling,” Velasco said.
“Until you’ve proven the quantity, it’s hard to get sponsors. Luckily, Alex had a lot of major sponsors from the Philippines. It fueled her, and hopefully it snowballs and creates more opportunities for other players,” he added.
Photo Courtesy: Alex Eala | Instagram
What Eala did at the Miami Open was remarkable and momentous for the entire tennis community. She began the competition as the world’s No. 140 and ended 75th.
“What she did was by a mile, historic for tennis as a whole. It’s been what? Since the 1980s? With Felix Barrientos and Raymond Suarez in the Davis Cup, there hasn’t been much to cheer about in tennis,” he said.
“This is also an example of how to do it the right way. Get the training, invest your time and energy, and she’s been doing this since what? Since she was six or seven years old? And it’s finally paying off.”
“At sana tumuloy-tuloy na ‘to, kasi look at her ranking now. It really took a big leap forward, she’s now qualified for a Grand Slam tournament. So, we really hope that this continues for her,” the journalist added.
A Lot More Tennis to Come
As Eala stated in her message, the real work begins now, only days after her remarkable performance in Miami. She is now guaranteed a position in the main draws of Grand Slam tournaments like the US Open, French Open, Wimbledon, and Australian Open.
“As a 19-year-old, she’ll probably hit her peak in two to three years time, and she’ll be able to maintain that for another five to eight years, maybe. For other tennis players, this is the start of their peak, but for Alex I think she’s starting to climb na,” Velasco explained.
While two to three years isn’t far away, the veteran journalist hopes to see more tennis activity in Eala. Hopefully, the tennis wonder will become the tennis superstar she aspires to be for the Philippines.
Eala’s impact on Philippine sports cannot be overstated, as shown by the fact that she not only raised the standing of tennis in the Philippines, but also became a symbol of optimism, resilience, and promise for young Filipinos.
The tennis sensation has demonstrated that one person can truly change a whole athletic scene via her dedication, hard work, and unwavering attitude.
Eala signifies the power of one—the ability of a single person to inspire change, tear down barriers, and motivate a nation. The journey is far from over, and as she continues to ascend, so does the prospect of a brighter, more diverse future for Philippine sports.
