One set down and match suspended the Filipinos in Washington DC were anxious, its favorite daughter was on the most definitive game of his career, the DC Mubadala Open Tennis Tournament. Alex Eala defeated all the Medal holder of the Paris Olympic including the Gol Medalist Chinas Zheng Qinwen. The tournament also saw Eala besting Japan’s Naomi Osaka in the quarterfinals.
Alexandra “Alex” Eala is a trailblazing Filipina tennis star whose journey from humble beginnings in Quezon City to breaking into the WTA Top 30 has made her both a symbol of potential and an inspiration for young athletes in the Philippines. She started swinging a racket at age four, trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain by 13, and has since become the highest-ranked Filipino in WTA history.
Alex Family Influence: Born May 23, 2005 in Quezon City, Alex grew up in a sports-oriented family. Her mother, Rizza Maniego-Eala, was a Southeast Asian Games swimming medalist, and her brother Miko played collegiate tennis in the U.S. She began playing tennis under the guidance of her grandfather, Roberto “Lolo Bob” Maniego, on makeshift courts often shared with basketball hoops. By age 11, she was already competing internationally, winning the Li Na Inspiration Award at the WTA Future Stars event in Singapore. At 13, she moved to Mallorca, Spain to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy, where her discipline and aggressive baseline style were honed. Here are some notable achievements found in the internet; (Wikipedia )
Junior Success:
o 2020 Australian Open Girls’ Doubles Champion
o 2021 French Open Girls’ Doubles Champion
o 2022 US Open Junior Singles Champion — the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles title
She officially turned professional in March 2020 at age 14.
• Breakthroughs: By 2026, she reached World No. 28, the highest-ever ranking for a Filipino, and won her first WTA Tour title at the Washington Open. This proved that Alexandra Eala is the new Manny Pacquiao of the Philippine Sports and that she became a unifying figure for us Filipinos and further, she had inspired the overcoming of struggles because she can save a losing run into victory.
