ALEX EALA’S breakthrough showing at the recently concluded WTA 125 Guadalajara Open marked a major milestone in her young tennis career, earning her three key rewards: a maiden title, a cash prize, and a significant WTA ranking boost.
Early Sunday morning (Philippine Time), Eala scored the biggest win of her career to date, overcoming Hungary’s Panna Udvardy in a gritty comeback, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, to claim the Guadalajara Open crown.
Eala’s recent run has proven to be rewarding in more ways than one—bringing her not just financial gains, but also a surge in confidence, experience, and global recognition as she continues to rise in the world of tennis.
Winning on All Fronts
Along with the valuable experience she’ll take into upcoming tournaments this year, the Guadalajara Open champion also receives $115,000 in total—or roughly P6.5 million—in prize money, based on WTA figures.
This comes just a week after she earned a $154,000 prize—around P8.7 million—for reaching the second round of the US Open in New York, where she made history as the first Filipina to win a match in a Grand Slam main draw.
On top of the cash rewards, Eala picked up 125 WTA ranking points. This pushed her from World No. 75 up to No. 61, just five spots shy of the career-high ranking she achieved in June 2025.
Points are awarded based on a player’s progression in a tournament. Knowing that the Guadalajara Open is a WTA 125 event, a maximum of 125 points is awarded to the champion.
Underdog to Contender
Up next, the Filipina tennis sensation shifts her focus to the WTA 250 São Paulo Open in Brazil starting Tuesday, where she enters as one of the title favorites.
Eala is seeded No. 3 in the tournament and is set to face qualifier Yasmine Mansouri of France (World No. 380) in the opening round. Match time has yet to be announced, as it depends on the outcome of qualifying matches.
The winner of that match will move on to face either Argentina’s Julia Riera (World No. 188) or Russia’s Vitalia Diatchenko (World No. 429) in the second round.
The Spotlight’s On
At just 20 years old, the Filipina tennis star is rapidly building an impressive résumé, cementing her place as one of the brightest young talents not just in Philippine sports, but on the global tennis stage.
Every milestone Eala reaches is historic for the Philippines, as no Filipino—male or female—has come close to matching her achievements in singles play during the Open Era.
She stunned the tennis world with a breakout run, toppling four top-100 players, including World No. 5 and Australian Open champion Madison Keys, as well as World No. 2 and five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Swiatek.
Though her dream run ended in the semifinals after a hard-fought three-set battle against World No. 4 Jessica Pegula, Eala had already made her mark on the world stage.
The performance vaulted her 65 spots up the rankings, securing direct entry into Grand Slam main draws and making it clear that Eala’s talent is far too big to be contained within national borders.
