| Eala at the 2025 SEA Games | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Alexandra Maniego Eala | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country (sports) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 23, 2005 Quezon City, Philippines | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | March 2020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Left-handed (two-handed backhand) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Joan Bosch | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prize money | US $1,493,017 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 199–120 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 1 WTA Challenger | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 45 (February 2, 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | No. 45 (February 2, 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 1R (2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | 1R (2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | 1R (2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| US Open | 2R (2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 45–42 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 134 (January 12, 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | No. 136 (February 2, 2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam doubles results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | 1R (2026) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| French Open | 2R (2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wimbledon | 1R (2025) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Last updated on: February 2, 2026. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Alexandra Maniego Eala [a] (born May 23, 2005) is a Filipino professional tennis player. She reached a career-high WTA singles ranking of world No. 45 on February 2, 2026, making her the highest-ranked Filipino in tour history. She is also the first Filipino to break into the top 50, defeat multiple top-5 players and major champions, and reach a tour-level final in the Open Era.
Eala reached an ITF junior combined ranking of world No. 2 on October 6, 2020, and became the first Filipino to win a major jr. title by claiming the girls' singles category at the 2022 US Open.
Alexandra Eala was born on May 23, 2005, in Quezon City, Philippines, to Mike Eala, a businessman, and Rizza Maniego-Eala, a former national swimmer and chief financial officer of Globe Telecom until 2024. Her mother earned a bronze medal in the 1985 SEA Games in the 100-meter backstroke. Eala is a niece of former Philippine Sports Commission chairperson and Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Noli Eala. [1] [2] Her brother, Michael "Miko" Eala, played tennis for the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions from 2020 to 2024. [3] [4] She first played tennis at age four; [5] her maternal grandfather, Roberto "Bobby" Maniego, introduced her to the sport and coached her as a child. [6]
Eala attended the Immaculate Conception Academy in San Juan and Colegio San Agustin in Makati, before transferring to the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor, Spain. She graduated from the academy in 2023. [7] [8]
At age 12, Eala won the 2018 Les Petit As tournament. [9] In October, Eala won singles and doubles titles (with Joelle Lilly Sophie Steur) at the ITF Trofeo David Ferrer under-18 tournament in Alicante, Spain, claiming her first under-18 title. [10] In 2019, Eala won the Orange Bowl girls’ doubles title with Evialina Laskevich. [11] The same year, she made her junior Grand Slam tournament debut at the US Open, where she lost in the second round. [12] Eala reached the third round at the 2020 Australian Open for singles [13] and won the girls' doubles event partnered with Priska Madelyn Nugroho. [14] At the 2020 French Open, Eala reached the semifinals. [15]
At the 2021 French Open girls' doubles tournament, Eala won her second junior Grand Slam doubles title with partner Oksana Selekhmeteva. [16] In July, Eala won the singles and doubles events (partnered with Madison Sieg) at the 61st Trofeo Bonfiglio tournament held in Milan. [17] At Wimbledon, she reached the second round of the tournament. [18] Eala then progressed to the quarterfinals of the 2021 US Open before winning her first junior Grand Slam title in the same competition the following year. [19] [20]
Eala began her professional career in March 2020, making her debut on the ITF Women's World Tennis Tour at the W15 Monastir series in Tunisia, where she won her first professional match. [21]
In January 2021, she captured her maiden ITF title at the W15 Manacor event in Spain, becoming the youngest and lowest-seeded junior reserve to do so. [22] The victory earned her entry into the WTA rankings, where she initially broke into the top 1000. [23] Later that year, she reached her first ITF doubles final at the W25 Platja d'Aro in Spain with partner Oksana Selekhmeteva, [24] and made her WTA Tour debut at the Winners Open in Romania, where she became the first Filipino to win a tour-level match. [25]
Eala continued to gain exposure in 2022, receiving a wildcard into the Miami Open main draw, though she exited in the opening round. [26] That year, she also secured her second ITF singles crown at the W25 Chiang Rai in Thailand. [27]
In 2023, she entered Grand Slam competition for the first time, appearing in the Australian Open qualifiers. [28] Despite early-round exits at the Thailand Open, Miami Open, and Madrid Open, [29] she achieved a breakthrough in the rankings, reaching a career-high of No. 191 in September. [30] Her rise was supported by strong performances on the ITF circuit, including titles at the W25 Yecla in Spain and the W25 Roehampton in the United Kingdom. [27]
The 2024 season marked further progress, highlighted by her victory at the W100 Open Araba en Femenino in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain—her biggest ITF singles title to date. [27] She also collected three ITF doubles trophies, partnering with Darja Semeņistaja to win the W50 Pune in India, and with Estelle Cascino to claim the W75 Open de Seine-et-Marne in France and the W100 Open Araba en Femenino in Spain. [31] On the WTA Tour, Eala reached the quarterfinals of the Veneto Open, her best result of the year, [32] and advanced to the semifinals of the WTA 125 Canberra Tennis International doubles event with Laura Pigossi. [33]
However, she was unable to progress beyond the qualifying rounds at all four Grand Slam tournaments—the Australian Open, [34] French Open, [35] Wimbledon, [36] and US Open. [37] Her 2024 campaign included appearances across the WTA Tour: Miami, Madrid, Abu Dhabi, Guadalajara, and Wuhan, as well as several 250 (Nottingham, Ningbo, Guangzhou, Jiangxi) and 125-level (Canberra Tennis International, Oeiras Ladies Open, Makarska Open, Polish Open, Guadalajara 125) competitions. [38]
By the end of 2024, Eala had accumulated a total of five ITF singles titles and three ITF doubles titles. [27] [31]
Eala began 2025 by reaching the semifinals of the WTA 125 Canberra International. [39] Ranked No. 140, Eala was awarded a wildcard for the Miami Open, where she defeated Jeļena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Świątek before losing to Jessica Pegula in the semifinals. [40] Following these results, Eala became the first Filipino to reach a WTA 1000 event semifinal, the first Filipino woman to defeat a major champion at a tour-level event in the Open Era, and the first wildcard in history to defeat three major champions in straight sets at a single WTA event. [41] On March 31, 2025, she entered the WTA's top 100 as the first Filipino to achieve the feat, ranking at No. 75. [42] [43]
Eala reached the Italian Open doubles quarterfinals partnering with Coco Gauff, losing to Jasmine Paolini and Sara Errani. [44] She made her French Open debut, losing to Emiliana Arango in the first round, [45] but made it to round two of doubles with Renata Zarazúa. [46] Eala then advanced to the quarterfinals of the Ilkley Open. [47] At the Eastbourne Open, she lost to Maya Joint in her first WTA 250 tour final. [48] After the event, Eala reached a new WTA career-high ranking of No. 56. [49] Eala's debut at Wimbledon resulted in two first-round losses: in singles to Barbora Krejcikova, and in doubles with Eva Lys to Ingrid Martins and Quinn Gleason. [50] [51]
During her US Open debut, she defeated Clara Tauson in the first round, becoming the first Filipino player to achieve a match victory in a major tournament in the Open Era, [52] but was subsequently defeated by Cristina Bucșa in the second round. [53] Seeded second, she won her first WTA 125 title by defeating Panna Udvardy at the Guadalajara 125 Open final, becoming the first Filipino to achieve this milestone. [54] [55] Eala then lost to Janice Tjen during the quarterfinals of the SP Open. [56] She competed at the Jingshan Open, where eventual champion Lulu Sun defeated her during the semifinals. [57] At the Suzhou Open, she reached the quarterfinals, where she lost to champion Viktorija Golubic. [58] She later teamed up with Nadiia Kichenok to reach the doubles semifinals at the WTA 250 Guangzhou Open, falling to eventual champions Katarzyna Piter and Janice Tjen. [59] [60]
In 2025, Eala recorded early-round exits in singles at the following tournaments: Mumbai Open, Oeiras Ladies Open, Madrid Open, Italian Open, Birmingham Open, and Nottingham Open. In the second half of the season, she also exited early at the Canadian Open, Wuhan Open, Japan Open, Guangzhou Open, and Hong Kong Tennis Open. In doubles, she suffered first-round losses at the Mumbai Open, Oeiras Ladies Open, Birmingham Open, and Hong Kong Tennis Open. [61]
Eala finished the season ranked No. 50. [62]
Eala opened her 2026 WTA season at the Auckland Open, advancing to the semifinals in both the singles and doubles events. [63] In singles, she reached the last four before bowing to Wang Xinyu. [64] In doubles, she partnered with Iva Jovic and progressed to the semifinals where they fell to Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan. [65] She then made her Australian Open debut, where she was eliminated in the first round in singles and doubles alongside Ingrid Martins. [66] [67] Eala kicked off her 2026 WTA 125 campaign at the inaugural Philippine Women’s Open, entering as a wildcard and reaching the quarterfinals before falling to the eventual champion, Camila Osorio. [68] [69] At the Abu Dhabi Open, she reached the singles quarterfinals, losing to second seed Ekaterina Alexandrova, and in doubles with Janice Tjen advanced to the semifinals before falling to fourth seeds Tereza Mihalíková and Olivia Nicholls. [70] [71]
Eala is recognized as an aggressive baseliner, with her forehand serving as the centerpiece of her game. She strikes early with flat, powerful shots that allow her to dictate rallies and pressure opponents. [72] Her two‑handed backhand, while less dominant, provides consistency and counterpunching strength, supporting her forehand‑driven offense. [73] As a left‑hander, she uses topspin to push opponents deep behind the baseline, opening the court for her attacking play. [74]
Her serve remains a developing stroke, often lacking pace and variation, which leaves her vulnerable against strong servers. Analysts highlight that adding speed, variety, and confidence will be crucial for turning it into a reliable weapon in high‑pressure moments. [75] [76] By contrast, her return of serve is already considered a major strength, marked by sharp anticipation and aggressive positioning that enable her to convert a significant share of break points. [77]
Eala’s athletic footwork and rally endurance complement her aggressive style, giving her the patience to balance offense with longer exchanges. [78] She has achieved her strongest results on hard courts, winning nearly 59% of her matches in 2025, while continuing to refine her clay‑court and net play. [77] Analysts note that to reach higher success, she must strengthen her serve, adapt more effectively across surfaces, and manage pressure moments with greater tactical variety. [79] Like many aggressive baseliners, she faces challenges against counterpunchers and retrievers, particularly on clay, where slower conditions demand patience and strategic adjustments. [80] [81] [82]
Eala has represented the Philippines in major events. At the 2021 SEA Games, [b] she won bronze in women's singles, team, and mixed doubles. [83] She repeated with bronzes in women's singles and mixed doubles at the 2022 Asian Games. [c] [84]
In 2024, she led Team Philippines to a 5–0 sweep in the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania Group II, going undefeated and helping secure promotion to Group I with Marian Capadocia, Khim Iglupas, and Shaira Hope Rivera. [85]
At the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand, she captured gold in women's singles and bronzes in mixed doubles and women's team events. [86] [d]
Eala signed her first endorsement deal at eight years old, becoming an ambassador for Filipino telecommunications company Globe. [87] Starting from her junior career, she has been sponsored by French tennis brand Babolat. [88] [89] In 2019, she signed a sponsorship deal to represent Nike. [90] In 2022, Eala was announced as an endorser for Filipino bank BPI. [91] [92] She has appeared on fashion spreads and magazine covers, including those of the November 2022 issue of Vogue Philippines and the January 2025 issue of Tatler Philippines . [93] [94]
In July 2025, for her Wimbledon debut, Nike gifted Eala with a hair tie designed in the form of a sampaguita blossom, the national flower of the Philippines. [95] [96] During the same month, Eala was announced as a brand ambassador for Filipino juice brand Locally. [97] In August, Nike released an Eala-inspired limited edition shirt designed by Filipino artist Georgina Camus, featuring the "national flower of the Philippines overlaid on the All England Lawn Tennis Club's grass courts". [98] [99]
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | P# | DNQ | A | Z# | PO | G | S | B | NMS | NTI | P | NH |
Only main-draw results in WTA Tour, Grand Slam tournaments, Fed Cup/Billie Jean King Cup and Olympic Games are included in win–loss records.
Current through the 2026 Australian Open.
| Tournament | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | 2026 | SR | W–L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | |||||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | Q1 | Q1 | Q1 | 1R | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | |
| French Open | A | A | A | Q3 | 1R | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | ||
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | Q3 | 1R | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | ||
| US Open | A | A | A | Q3 | 2R | 0 / 1 | 1–1 | ||
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 0-1 | 0 / 4 | 1–4 | |
| National representation | |||||||||
| Summer Olympics | DNQ | NH | DNQ | NH | NH | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | ||
| Billie Jean King Cup | A | GIII | A | 0 / 4 | 4–0 | ||||
| Win–loss | 2–1 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 0 / 11 | 9–2 | ||
| WTA 1000 tournaments | |||||||||
| Qatar Open | NTI | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | ||
| Dubai | A | NTI | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | ||
| Indian Wells | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | ||
| Miami Open | Q1 | 1R | 1R | Q2 | SF | 0 / 3 | 4–3 | ||
| Madrid Open | A | Q1 | 1R | 2R | 2R | 0 / 3 | 2–2 | ||
| Italian Open | A | A | A | A | 1R | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | ||
| Canadian Open | A | A | A | A | 1R | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | ||
| Cincinnati Open | A | A | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | ||
| Wuhan Open | NH | A | 1R | Q1 | 0 / 2 | 0–2 | |||
| China Open | NH | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | |||
| Career statistics | |||||||||
| Tournaments | 1 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 6 | Total: 20 | |||
| Overall win–loss | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–6 | 1–6 | 6–6 | 3-1 | 0 / 21 | 11–21 | |
| Year-end ranking | 529 | 219 | 205 | 158 | 50 | $1,378,211 | |||
|
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jun 2025 | Eastbourne Open, United Kingdom | WTA 250 | Grass | | 4–6, 6–1, 6–7(10–12) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Sep 2025 | Guadalajara 125 Open, Mexico | Hard | | 1–6, 7–5, 6–3 |
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Jan 2021 | ITF Manacor, Spain | W15 | Hard | | 5–7, 6–1, 6–2 |
| Win | 2–0 | Apr 2022 | ITF Chiang Rai, Thailand | W25 | Hard | | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Loss | 2–1 | Jun 2022 | ITF Madrid Open, Spain | W60 | Hard | | 4–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 3–1 | Jun 2023 | ITF Yecla, Spain | W25 | Hard | | 6–3, 7–5 |
| Win | 4–1 | Aug 2023 | ITF Roehampton, United Kingdom | W25 | Hard | | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Loss | 4–2 | Aug 2023 | ITF Aldershot, United Kingdom | W25 | Hard | | 6–3, 4–6, 1–6 |
| Loss | 4–3 | Nov 2023 | ITF Pétange, Luxembourg | W40 | Hard (i) | | 1–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 5–3 | Jul 2024 | Open Araba en Femenino, Spain | W100 | Hard | | 6–4, 6–4 |
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | May 2021 | ITF Platja d'Aro, Spain | W25 | Clay | | | 3–6, 5–7 |
| Win | 1–1 | Jan 2024 | ITF Pune Open, India | W50 | Hard | | | 7–6(8), 6–3 |
| Win | 2–1 | Mar 2024 | Open de Seine-et-Marne, France | W75 | Hard (i) | | | 7–5, 7–6(4) |
| Win | 3–1 | Jul 2024 | Open Araba en Femenino, Spain | W100 | Hard | | | 6–3, 2–6, [10–4] |
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2022 | US Open | Hard | | 6–2, 6–4 |
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2020 | Australian Open | Hard | | | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Win | 2021 | French Open | Clay | | | 6–0, 7–5 |
| Legend |
|---|
| Grade A (4–1) |
| Grade 1 (0–1) |
| Grade 2 (0–3) |
| Grade 4 (1–2) |
| Grade 5 (2–0) |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jul 2018 | ITF Jakarta, Indonesia | G4 | Hard | | 2–6, 6–4, 1–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Oct 2018 | ITF Alicante, Spain | G5 | Clay | | 6–2, 6–3 |
| Win | 2–1 | Nov 2018 | ITF Makati City, Philippines | G4 | Clay | | 6–4, 6–2 |
| Loss | 2–2 | Nov 2018 | ITF Manila, Philippines | G4 | Clay | | 3–6, 6–2, 5–7 |
| Loss | 2–3 | Jan 2019 | ITF New Delhi, India | G2 | Hard | | 5–7, 3–6 |
| Loss | 2–4 | Jan 2019 | ITF Kolkata, India | G2 | Clay | | 6–2, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 3–4 | Sep 2019 | ITF Cape Town, South Africa | GA | Hard | | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 3–5 | Oct 2019 | ITF Osaka, Japan | GA | Hard | | 2–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 4–5 | Jul 2021 | ITF Milan, Italy | GA | Clay | | 6–3, 6–3 |
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Oct 2018 | ITF Alicante, Spain | G5 | Clay | | | 6–2, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1–1 | Jun 2019 | ITF Offenbach, Germany | G1 | Clay | | | 4–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1–2 | Sep 2019 | ITF Cape Town, South Africa | G2 | Hard | | | 3–6, 6–4, [3–10] |
| Win | 2–2 | Dec 2019 | ITF Plantation, United States | GA | Clay | | | 6–3, 6–7(3), [10–5] |
| Win | 3–2 | Jul 2021 | ITF Milan, Italy | GA | Clay | | | 6–4, 4–6, [13–11] |
| # | Player | Rk | Event | Surface | Rd | Score | Rk | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ||||||||
| 1. | | 5 | Miami Open, United States | Hard | 3R | 6–4, 6–2 | 140 | [101] |
| 2. | | 2 | Miami Open, United States | Hard | QF | 6–2, 7–5 | 140 | [102] |
Eala has been recognized by the Philippine Sportswriters Association as a seven-time honoree (2019–2024, 2026) for her "outstanding" achievements in tennis at the PSA Annual Awards. [103] In 2021, Tatler Asia included Eala in its annual list of Asia's most influential people. [104] In April 2025, she was awarded the Premios Tanglaw trophy by the Philippine embassy in Madrid for her contributions to strengthening Philippines–Spain relations. [105]