Who Is Alex Eala, the Filipina Tennis Star Making Headlines Now?
"Let's keep dreaming," Rafael Nadal wrote on X, addressing the wildcard.
(SPOT.ph) Alexandra “Alex” Eala just made history as the first Filipina to reach the semifinals of a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 tournament. At just 19 years old, she beat world No. 2 Iga Swiatek at the 2025 Miami Open on March 26—a surprise victory that sports analysts call “one of the biggest upsets” of the tournament (that’s sports-speak for a lower-ranked player beating a heavily favored opponent).
It was Eala's third straight win over a Grand Slam champion, and the biggest step forward in her career so far. Like many athletes, her rise didn’t happen overnight. She has been quietly building her game—and her ranking—since she was a preteen.
Now all eyes are on her.
"It feels amazing because I know this is a historical achievement which I dedicate to my country. It's also a huge personal achievement, and for that, I'd love to give myself and my team a pat on the back. It's not the end goal. Keep working," Eala said.
Also read: 10 Filipino Athletes Who Brought Home Olympic Medals
A tennis wildcard from the Philippines
Born and raised in Quezon City, Eala was introduced to tennis at the age of four by her grandfather, Roberto Maniego. The rest of her family had strong ties to sports: her mother Rizza is a Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist in swimming, her brother Michael played tennis for Pennsylvania State University, and her uncle Noli is the former commissioner of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
“Growing up, it was tough,” Eala was quoted as saying after a match. “You didn’t have anyone from where you’re from to pave the way. Of course, you had many people to look up to around the world, but I hope this takes Filipino tennis to the next step.”
At 12 years old, Eala moved to Spain with her brother as a chaperon to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where she’s been based since. A fun fact about Eala is that she’s a left-hander. Only about 10% of people in the world are lefties, but in tennis, this minority has made a huge mark. Nearly a quarter of all Wimbledon Singles titles have been won by them, including big names like Martina Navratilova, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe.
Her decision to join the academy proved instrumental as she was exposed to a world-class training environment under the mentorship of tennis legend Rafael Nadal (who also plays left-handed).
“She was born with athletic genes and financial resources... There are plenty of children born with that sort of pedigree. Few of them take the chance to become a top tennis player like Eala has done now, especially in a country where basketball rules the sporting roost,” the New York Times wrote in a recent feature about Eala.
Nowhere but up for Alex Eala
Eala began making a name for herself in the junior circuit. She won the Australian Open girls’ doubles title in 2020, followed by another doubles win at the French Open in 2021. However, it was really her 2022 US Open girls' singles victory that truly put her on the global stage—making her the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles title.
Her transition to the professional tour has been steady. When Eala began her pro career in 2020, she ranked 1190. Climbing the ranks came like a breeze: she moved up to 529 in 2021, 219 in 2022, then 205 in 2023. That same year, Eala graduated from the Rafa Nadal Academy, with former world No. 1 Swiatek attending the ceremony as a guest. Funnily enough, it was Swiatek whom Eala would beat two years later.
The young Filipina's upward trajectory continued into 2025. By the time she entered the Miami Open as a wildcard—an invite given to players who don’t meet the ranking cutoff but are seen as promising—she was ranked 140.
She made the most of that special entry with impressive performances that beat three Grand Slam champions in a row to become the first Filipina to reach the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event. Even veterans of the game have taken notice.
“The fact that she was left-handed didn’t surprise me, but the truth is, she went all out. She made those returns quite long and it wasn’t easy to return those shots,” Swiatek said at a press conference after her match with Eala. “She was very aggressive and stayed on target the whole match. A lot of these shots were coming out of nowhere, I could still clearly see that she was trying to push forward and pressure me. So it worked out pretty well for her.”
Madison Keys, another high-profile champion who lost to Eala earlier this week on March 23, admitted she couldn’t keep up with “someone who makes a ton of balls back and absorbs really well.”
Next up for Eala: beat world No. 4 Jessica Pegula on March 27, 8:30 p.m. (March 28, 8:30 a.m. in Philippine time) in her bid to reach the finals. The whole tennis world is watching now. Among those cheering her on is none other than Nadal himself, who wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "We are extremely proud of you, Alex. What an incredible tournament! Let’s keep dreaming.”
We are extremely proud of you, Alex.
— Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) March 26, 2025
What an incredible tournament! Let’s keep dreaming! https://t.co/OlQXYRjO4f
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