Alexandra Eala, 19, is a tennis prodigy from the Philippines. It’s no wonder she’s made headlines at the Miami Open with her historic victory! Eala, who is ranked 140th in the world, made ITF history when she defeated Jeļena Ostapenko, the 2017 French Open champion. This victory handed Eala her first victory of a Filipino player against a top-30 player. Her dominant form continued, as she broke Madison Keys’ serve six times, illustrating her stranglehold statement performance on her remarkable run through the tournament.
Eala's journey in tennis began when she started training at Rafael Nadal's academy at just 13 years old. Her commitment to the sport has already accomplished amazing things. Last year, in 2022, she won the US Open girls’ singles championship. She won girls’ doubles titles at the 2021 French Open and the 2020 Australian Open. Each of these achievements laid the foundation for her present-day trailblazing success in Miami.
At this year's Miami Open, Eala has already secured three wins, exceeding the combined victories of all other Filipino tennis players in the tournament's Open Era. Eala pictured to face No. 10 seed Paula Badosa R32. We’re excited to see her move on to even greater things!
Reflecting on her recent achievements and rapid rise in the tennis world, Eala commented:
"I don’t think I’ve had the time to process everything that’s happened, so I’m taking it step by step and just focusing on what I need to do next." – Alexandra Eala
Eala’s upset of world number 15 Ostapenko and her performances against Zvonareva and Andy showcase her emerging dominance on the court. It’s not just her talent in beating opponents ranked higher than herself that keeps the world noticing and mesmerized, as she keeps shattering records for Filipino tennis. Notably, she is now the first Filipino player to record a top-10 win since the rankings were introduced in 1975.
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