Alex Eala had to wait a little longer for her moment.
The 21-year-old budding star from the Philippines had emerged from a treacherous draw to earn a spot in the finals of the Mubadala DC Open, her first WTA-500 level final. On the other side of the net stood the top seed, world no. 3, Jess Pegula, who defeated Eala in the semifinals of the Miami Open last spring. But play was suspended after a few minutes due to rain. Both players were eventually sent home.
When the match resumed the next day, Pegula took control and won the first set 6-4. But Eala would settle down. She won the second set 6-4, then ran away with the third, bageling Pegula 6-0 to win her biggest tournament to date—and rise to a career-high ranking of 20th in the world.
Afterwards, Eala appeared stunned.
"At the beginning of the week, there's no way I would have thought that I would be holding this trophy," Eala said during the trophy presentation. "Winning a 500 [level event] is insane. It's an incredible milestone for me."
It was the latest milestone for Eala, who in a short time has become one of the most exciting players on the WTA tour and one of its biggest draws; Mark Ein, the D.C. Open owner and chairman, said that at least 80 percent of ticket inquiries during the tournament involved Eala.
That was apparent to anyone watching the tournament as Eala’s fans were easy to spot. They waved the national flag of the Philippines and wore shirts emblazoned with its colors. And throughout her run in D.C.—during which she defeated 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist Qinwen Zheng, defending champ Leylah Fernandez, No. 3 seed Naomi Osaka, and No. 2 seed Elena Svitolina—Eala was the overwhelming crowd favorite with the rowdy atmosphere akin to a partisan event like the Olympics or Davis Cup.
Eala is already a big-time celebrity in her native Philippines—she received a Presidential Citation from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace in July, and Filipino icon Manny Pacquiao saluted her on social media following her win in D.C., saying Eala displayed the “heart of a Filipino” and referring to her as “our new champion.” But she is poised to break through on a larger scale during the summer North American hard court swing, which culminates later this month at the U.S. Open.
With Eala taking the court tonight against Alycia Parks in the second round of the National Bank Open in Toronto, here is Everything You Need to Know About Alex Eala.
Where is she from?
Alexandra Eala was born on May 23, 2005 in Quezon City, Philippines, the nation’s most populous city, to Michael, a business executive, and Rosemarie (“Rizza”), the former CFO of Globe Telecon, a Philippine telecommunications company. Athleticism runs in her family; Rizza was a competitive swimmer and a bronze medalist in the 100m backstroke at the 1985 Southeast Asian Games, and Alex’s older brother Miko played tennis at Penn State University from 2020 to 2024.
Eala’s maternal grandfather introduced her to tennis when she was four years old. She grew up playing the sport on basketball courts in the Philippines, before moving to Spain at 13 to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy. Her rise continued on the ITF World Junior Tennis circuit, where she cracked the top 10 in 2020, the same year she turned pro. Then, in September 2022, Eala won the U.S. Open Girls Championship to become the first Filipino player to win a junior major singles title.
At first, she appeared physically overmatched on the WTA tour. But she put the locker room on notice in March 2025 after receiving a wild card into the Miami Open. At the Masters 1000 tournament, Eala, then ranked 140 in the world, became the first Filipina to defeat a Grand Slam champion when she toppled 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko in the second round. Then, in the next round, she did it again, overwhelming 2025 Australian Open champ Madison Keys 6-4 6-2. After receiving a walkover in the fourth round, Eala scored her biggest scalp to date, taking out four-time French Open champion Iga Świątek in the quarterfinals. It was a full circle moment; Świątek had attended Eala’s 2023 graduation ceremony at the Rafa Nadal Academy.
What’s her style of play?
Eala is already one of the best returners on tour. She’s an aggressive player, who likes to hug the baseline and take the ball early, generating power and angles off both wings. Like most southpaws, she uses a topspin-heavy forehand to pin opponents back behind the baseline, and then finishes points with hard, flat groundstrokes. She is a fantastic mover and defender and can easily transition from defense to offense. And though her serve was initially seen as a weakness, she’s made great strides in that department. Joan Bosch of the Rafa Nadal Academy is currently her main coach.
What do the experts say?
Four-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters recently broke down Eala’s game on her Love All podcast. The retired Belgian star was most impressed with Eala’s improved fitness, her movement, and her return game.
“To me those two things stand out for me. . . her movement and then, I think, her anticipation. . . Osaka was to me the first time where I started noticing how well she’s reading her opponent’s serves. . . Osaka can really hide her serve direction very well and she at times is standing like a foot like into the court and still getting to the return on time and to the serve like first serves like good kick serves from Osaka.”
Can she win the U.S. Open?
Once again, Eala faces a tough draw in Toronto. If she gets past Parks, she will likely play 2026 Wimbledon champ Linda Noskova in the next round. She would then likely have to defeat Belinda Bencic and Coco Gauff just to make a semifinal. Eala is also playing doubles in Toronto, teaming up with the icon Venus Williams. Their opening round match is scheduled for Thursday night.
Eala, who is signed to Nike, is then scheduled to play the Cincinnati Open before arriving in New York. for the U.S. Open.
The women’s field is deep and talented but also wide open—seven different players have won the last seven majors. And Eala has already established a reputation for being a big-time player who ups her game against top competition; she sports a 9-4 record against the top 10. Hard courts are also her best surface.
She has the game. More importantly, she has the mentality needed to win at the highest level.
"I'm a competitive athlete, so there's pressure, but I think the obligation also comes to myself," she said after defeating Fernandez in Washington D.C. "I'm a very self-demanding person. I'm a very ambitious person, so I'm definitely happy and welcoming to everyone who wants to support me and go along on this journey. But I know that this is my journey first and foremost, and I have the expectations I have on myself."
