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Alex Eala is set for her next test at the Japan Women’s Open, opening her campaign today, October 14, against Czech player Tereza Valentova. 

The 19-year-old Filipina tennis star continues to climb the international rankings, now at a career-high No. 54, and is eager for another breakthrough to bring pride to the Philippines.

The Japan Open boasts a stacked field, headlined by top seed and world No. 16 Naomi Osaka, world No. 17 Linda Noskova, No. 21 Elise Mertens, No. 27 Leylah Fernandez, No. 41 Marie Bouzkova, No. 49 Olga Danilovic, No. 42 Ann Li, and No. 40 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro.

Eala will look to build on her momentum as she takes on the world’s best on the Japanese hard courts. 

In the meantime, Eala has been enjoying her time in Japan with her parents and coach, making the most of the experience both on and off the court.

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal was quick to congratulate Filipina star Alex Eala after her breakthrough WTA title win at the Guadalajara 125 Open in Mexico. 

Nadal, who posted his message on X (formerly Twitter), praised Eala’s achievement and her impact on Philippine tennis.

“Congrats @AlexEala05 for your first WTA (trophy). I am happy and proud of what you are achieving for yourself and for the Philippines,” wrote Nadal.

Eala, who trains at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, rallied to defeat Hungary’s Panna Udvardy and claim her first WTA crown—the first ever for a Filipina. 

Meanwhile, the Filipina tennis star Alex Eala continued her steady climb in the world rankings, moving up to No. 61 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) standings ahead of her campaign in the WTA 250 São Paulo Open in Brazil.

The 20-year-old lefty, seeded third in the tournament, opened against French qualifier Yasmine Mansouri (WTA No. 380) in a match today.

Eala jumped 14 places from her previous rank of No. 75 following her historic breakthrough in Mexico, where she captured her and the Philippines’ first-ever WTA crown by rallying past Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, in the Guadalajara 125 final.

Her momentum also came from a memorable debut main-draw victory at the US Open, where she stunned World No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11). That result marked her first Grand Slam singles win after featuring in all four majors this season.

Eala’s latest ranking puts her on course to surpass her career-best No. 56, which she reached in June after a runner-up finish at the Eastbourne Open.

Following her Brazil stint, Eala is expected to join tournaments in Asia as part of her buildup for a possible return to the Philippine team in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December. 

She previously won three bronze medals in the 2022 SEA Games in Hanoi but skipped the 2023 edition in Phnom Penh.

Alex Eala has finally captured her first WTA singles crown—making tennis history for the Philippines—at the WTA 125 Guadalajara Open.

The 20-year-old Filipina rallied from a shaky start to defeat Hungary’s Panna Udvardy, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, in a thrilling two-hour, 30-minute final at Mexico’s Panamerican Tennis Center. Seeded No. 2,  

The win catapulted her to No. 61 in the WTA live rankings, marking another milestone in her young career.

“First title,” Eala posted on social media, offering thanks to her Filipino supporters: “Mga kababayan, maraming salamat.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. praised Eala for “writing history” and pledged stronger government backing for grassroots sports. 

Tennis legend Rafael Nadal, whose academy helped develop Eala’s game, also congratulated her and expressed his pride in her achievement.

With this breakthrough, Eala now owns five titles—adding a WTA crown to her junior Grand Slam triumphs—and continues to raise the Philippine flag on the global tennis stage.

On National Heroes’ Day, Alex Eala delivered her own brand of heroism in New York, pulling off a dramatic 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11) comeback win over world No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark in her US Open main draw debut.

The 20-year-old Filipina staged a stunning rally from 1-5 down in the deciding set, then survived a marathon tiebreak to claim her first-ever Grand Slam main draw victory—becoming the first Filipino player to achieve this milestone.

“I’m super over the moon with what I was able to do today, especially coming back in the third. I’ve lost these tight tiebreaks before, so to come out on top is unforgettable,” Eala said.

Eala, now ranked No. 75, next faces either Spain’s Cristina Bucsa (No. 35) or American qualifier Claire Liu, in a tough bracket stacked with top seeds like Aryna Sabalenka, Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, Jasmine Paolini, and Elena Rybakina.

For Eala, the win was made even sweeter by the home-like energy from over 8,000 fans—family, coaches, and Filipino supporters—cheering her on at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

“I don’t have a home tournament, so having this community at the US Open made me feel at home,” she added.

The thrilling win reverberated back in Manila, with President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. among those celebrating Eala’s grit and history-making feat: “She’s only getting started. Congratulations Alex Eala. The entire Philippines is with you every step of the way.”

From the brink of defeat to a place in history, Alex Eala’s US Open breakthrough is a win for herself and for Philippine tennis.

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala bowed out of the Canadian Open after a hard-fought three-set defeat to Czechia’s Marketa Vondrousova, 6-3, 1-6, 2-6, in Montreal early Monday morning (Manila time).

Eala, ranked World No. 69, looked sharp early, taking the opening set after breaking a 3-all deadlock and winning three straight games. However, playing with her left shoulder taped, she couldn’t sustain her momentum against the former Wimbledon champion.

Vondrousova, currently World No. 65, seized control in the second set. After splitting the first two games, she swept the next five to level the match, 6-1.

The Czech star carried her dominance into the decider, racing to a 2-0 lead. Eala managed to hold serve to cut the gap to 2-1, but Vondrousova’s steadiness and experience proved too much as she clinched four of the last five games to close out the match.

While Eala produced more winners (30 to Vondrousova’s 27), her 29 unforced errors proved costly compared to the Czech’s 16. Vondrousova also fired seven aces, while Eala had none.

“I expected [Eala] to play a great match and she had some good results before, so I expected that. It was a tough one and I’m very happy to beat her,” said Vondrousova, an Olympic silver medalist. “She’s very aggressive. My serve was better in the second and third sets, so I’m happy to fight back in this match.”

Vondrousova advances to face Marta Kostyuk in the second round. Eala, meanwhile, will shift her focus to the Cincinnati Open next month.

Alex Eala is set to face a challenging field at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canada, kicking off this weekend as part of her preparations for another Grand Slam run at the US Open next month.

After a brief vacation in the Philippines, Eala will compete in her fourth WTA-1000 level tournament of the year, aiming to match or surpass her previous achievements.

The National Bank Open, scheduled for July 26 to August 7, will release its official draw this Friday, July 25.

Currently ranked No. 69, Eala could find herself up against familiar elite opponents she’s encountered at the Miami Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open, Eastbourne Open, French Open, and Wimbledon.

Headlining the tournament are world No. 2 Coco Gauff, newly crowned Wimbledon champion and world No. 3 Iga Swiatek, and world No. 4 Jessica Pegula.

Eala previously partnered with Gauff at the Italian Open and faced Pegula in the Miami Open, where she made her first semifinal appearance at this level.

Alex Eala continues to honor her late grandfather and first tennis coach, Roberto “Bobby” Maniego, dedicating her recent achievements to his memory.

Eala’s breakthrough semifinal run at the Miami Open propelled her to a career-high World No. 56 ranking and opened the door to Grand Slam main draw appearances at both the French Open and Wimbledon. She credits much of her success to “Lolo Bob,” as she fondly called Maniego.

“Whenever I accomplish something big, I think about him. It would’ve meant so much for him to witness these moments and share them with our family. Even when he was struggling, he remained a strong mentor and always put in the work.” Eala shared. 

Before Alex and her brother Miko moved to Spain to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy, it was Maniego who introduced them to tennis and served as their first coach.

“He was a huge part of my life and early career,” He laid my foundation—my mentality and bravery on court come from his tough love and sacrifice.” the 20-year-old said.

Eala also revealed her admiration for Maria Sharapova, whom she considered her “super idol” growing up, inspired by Sharapova’s playing style, mindset, and presence on and off the court.

Now, Eala is setting her sights on another Grand Slam appearance, aiming for her first main draw win at the US Open from August 24 to September 7. She plans to compete in tournaments in Canada and the US before heading back to Asia later this year.

Despite a blazing start, Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala saw her campaign at the WTA 250 Nottingham Open come to an early end after a 4-6, 3-6 first-round defeat to Poland’s Magda Linette on Tuesday night, June 17.

The 20-year-old raced to a 3-0 lead in just seven minutes, but veteran campaigner Linette, ranked No. 31, found her rhythm by the fourth game. The Polish star turned the tide, leveling the match at 3-3 before surging ahead 5-3 and eventually taking the first set.

Eala attempted to fight back in the second set, which featured tighter exchanges, with the score knotted at 2-all. However, her opponent’s experience and composure took over once again, as she pulled away to secure the win in one hour and 38 minutes.

Meanwhile, Linette advances to the Round of 16, where she awaits the winner between Great Britain’s Mingge Xu and American Katie Volynets.

Despite the loss, Eala’s appearance in Nottingham marked her third consecutive grass-court tournament in a matter of two weeks. She previously suffered a first-round exit at the Birmingham Classic and reached the quarterfinals at the Ilkley Open.

Eala made it to the Nottingham main draw after winning two matches in the qualifying rounds. She is expected to continue her grass-court campaign in preparation for her debut at the 2025 Wimbledon Championships later this month.

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala is headed to the main draw of the 2025 Lexus Nottingham Open after pulling off a hard-earned 6-3, 6-7(4-7), 6-3 victory over Romania’s Anca Todoni in England.

The 20-year-old looked poised for a straight-sets win after taking a 4-2 lead in the second set, but Todoni fought back, forcing a tiebreak and eventually pushing the match into a deciding third set.

Undeterred, the WTA World No. 77 regrouped and surged to a 4-1 run in the final set to seal the win after just over two hours of intense play.

Todoni’s powerful serve—highlighted by 12 aces—kept Eala on her toes throughout the match, but the Filipina’s composure and grit ultimately made the difference.

With the victory, Eala advanced to the Round of 32 of the WTA event, where she will face sixth seed Magda Linette of Poland. Linette, 33, currently ranked World No. 31, automatically qualified for the main draw, presenting a tough challenge for the young Filipina.

Eala earned her main draw slot by surviving two three-set qualifying matches—first outlasting France’s Varvara Gracheva, 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, before overcoming Todoni.

This latest triumph serves as a moment of redemption following her quarterfinal exit at the Ilkley Open last week. It also caps off a solid stretch of grass-court play as she builds toward her highly anticipated Wimbledon debut, scheduled from June 30 to July 11 in London.

Fresh off her appearance at the French Open, Wimbledon marks Eala’s second consecutive Grand Slam entry this year. Her recent rise into the WTA Top 100 has opened the door to automatic berths in all four Grand Slam tournaments—a major milestone for the 20-year-old trailblazer in Philippine tennis history.

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala continued to showcase her impressive run at the Ilkley WTA 125 tournament in Great Britain, powering into the quarterfinals with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over Switzerland’s Valentina Ryser.

Currently ranked world No. 77, Eala displayed her growing confidence and adaptability on grass courts, particularly in the opening set where she landed an impressive 78% of her first serves.

After splitting the first two games, she quickly seized control with a string of aggressive baseline winners and forced errors from Ryser. Though the Swiss player had multiple breakpoint opportunities late in the set, Eala held her ground and closed it out convincingly, 6-1.

The second set began with both players trading service breaks, leveling the score at 2-2. Ryser looked set to hold serve in the fifth game at 40-30, but an untimely unforced error gave Eala the opening she needed. The 19-year-old capitalized, stepping up her offensive play to break serve and take a 3-2 lead.

From there, Eala dominated from the baseline, pushing ahead 4-2 with deep, penetrating groundstrokes that kept Ryser on the defensive. Despite Ryser’s attempts to mount a comeback, Eala remained composed and in control, ultimately closing out the match in just over an hour.

This decisive victory propels Eala into the quarterfinals, where she will aim to continue her strong form and build momentum ahead of the upcoming grass-court season.

Eala will next face no.8 seed Rebecca Marino of Canada.