In the lush tropical heart of Metro Manila, a 20-year-old tennis phenom is quietly rewriting the history books. Alexandra Maniego Eala may be young, but her impact on Philippine tennis is already seismic. She is, in every sense, a generational talent — a bridge between her country’s modest tennis tradition and a future where Filipinas compete at the highest levels of the WTA Tour.
Roots and Early Promise
Born on May 23, 2005, in Quezon City, Eala grew up in a sport-loving family. Her mother, Rizza, was a competitive swimmer, and her father, Mike, deeply believed in her potential. At a young age, Alex showed a precocious talent for tennis, picking up a racquet when most children were still wrestling with basics.
By the time she was in her early teens, the family made a big decision: send her to Mallorca, Spain, to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy. It was a gamble — a young girl from the Philippines relocating across continents — but one that would pay off. She trained under some of the best, refining her all-court game, learning discipline, and internalizing a champion’s mindset.
A History Maker in the Juniors
Alex’s junior career was nothing short of historic. In 2022, she became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles title by claiming the US Open girls’ crown, defeating Lucie Havlíčková 6–2, 6–4. Before that, she had already shown her doubles prowess, winning junior Grand Slam doubles titles at the 2020 Australian Open (with Priska Nugroho) and the 2021 French Open (with Oksana Selekhmeteva).
Through it all, she carried a deeper purpose: she didn’t just play for herself, but for the future of tennis in her homeland. At her US Open victory, she noted that her win “isn’t just my victory, it’s our victory … so I could help Philippine tennis.”
2025: The Year of Breakthroughs
While many young pros take time to find their feet, 2025 was the year Alex Eala exploded into global consciousness.
Miami Open Magic
Arguably her breakout moment came at the 2025 Miami Open. Entering the tournament on a wildcard and ranked outside the top 130, she put together a stunning run — beating three Grand Slam champions along the way: Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and then Iga Świątek, world No. 2 at the time. Her win over Świątek made headlines around the world, and she became the first Filipina ever to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal.
Making WTA Final History
In June, Eala continued turning heads on grass at the Lexus Eastbourne Open. Coming through qualifying, she upset Varvara Gracheva 7–5, 2–6, 6–3 to reach her first WTA Tour final. Though she fell short in the final — narrowly losing to Maya Joint in a dramatic super tiebreak — the achievement was monumental: she became the first Filipino woman ever to contest a WTA singles final.
First WTA Title
Then came another breakthrough. In September 2025, Eala won her first WTA-125 (Challenger) title at the Guadalajara 125 Open, defeating Hungarian Panna Udvardy 1–6, 7–5, 6–3 in a dramatic comeback. While these events sit just below the main WTA Tour level, her win is still historic: she’s the first Filipina to win a WTA 125 title.
Rising in the Rankings
All of this success came with a steep rise in her WTA ranking. In November 2025, Eala broke into the Top 50, reaching a career-high of No. 50 — another first for a Filipino woman.
She could very well become the greatest ever tennis player from The Philippines, but not quite yet, as you can read here:
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