The SECRET BEHIND the RISING of Alexandra Eala making headlines in the Philippines and beyond
This month, the WTA Editorial team is profiling a selection of up-and-coming names to look out for in 2023.
At the age of 17, Alexandra Eala is already in the history-making business. She was the first player from the Philippines to win a Hologic WTA Tour match (at Cluj-Napoca 2021), and the first to win a junior Grand Slam crown (she has three, adding this year’s US Open to two previous in doubles).
Eala’s 2022 year-end ranking was No.219, an improvement of over 300 places from the previous season and the highest position ever attained by a Filipina.
Eala’s every move as she has transitioned from juniors to pros has been covered by the Filipino media. She has gathered nearly 100,000 Instagram followers and this month she graced the cover of Vogue Philippines.
“I try not to think about all of it,” Eala said from the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, where she has trained since the age of 13. “If I think about it, it will get to my head. I try not to make it a big deal. There’s always going to be someone more famous. I’m still not where I want to be, and that, most of all, is what keeps me grounded — the motivation to improve and the motivation to achieve my bigger goals.”
