Alexandra Eala continued her rapid rise at the Miami Open, where she once again represented one of the most popular players.
Eala definitely has room for improvement, but she took another important step in her promising career after making her debut at the Sunshine Double.
She reached the round of 16 at both WTA 1000 tournaments in the United States, where her huge fanbase continued to show their stunning support.
Filipino fans have constantly shown up in remarkable numbers to support their superstar, with many more watching closely from further afield.
Eala discussed her nationality as a 15-year-old back in 2021, having already achieved the big change that she wanted to cause in tennis since then.
Alexandra Eala will finish 2026 ranked — in the world
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Alexandra Eala has already changed the perception of Philippine tennis
Eala told the International Tennis Federation at the time: “I’m really, really proud to be representing women’s sports in the Philippines.
“Ever since I was young I think that the Philippines has been looked down upon and underrated and in team events, everyone would be praying to get us.
“I really want that to change and I feel we have huge potential.
“If I can be a part of that in any way I think that’d be great.”
Eala has, of course, not only been a part of that, but has led the way for women’s sports in the Philippines.
Her popularity looks certain to rise with more matches and more exposure, with Eala getting used to competing in big tournaments on the WTA Tour.
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Alexandra Eala was constantly being surprised in her early tennis career
Ranked 947th at the time, having spent the past three years training at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, Eala is now a top 30 player.
She has produced one of the most memorable rises in recent history, and there is every chance that her ranking will continue to improve as the months progress.
Her rise has been helped by a step-by-step approach, of which she said in 2021: “For the next year, I really hope to focus more on my professional career, on women’s [circuit] tournaments, and just get as far as I can.
“I take it step-by-step, I’m still very new to the women’s tour and don’t really know what to expect from there, but I think that’s part of the journey – that it never stops surprising you.”
| Top rank by year | Year-end ranking | |
| 28 | 2026 | – |
| 50 | 2025 | 50 |
| 143 | 2024 | 158 |
| 189 | 2023 | 205 |
| 214 | 2022 | 219 |
| 505 | 2021 | 529 |
| 1180 | 2020 | – |
It’s fair to say that the surprises are still happening for Eala, who will now be keen to showcase her ability on clay.
The Miami Open will bring the current hard-court swing to an end, with the WTA calendar now preparing for 10 clay-court tournaments.
Eala loved her time in Miami despite a humbling 6-0, 6-2 loss to Karolina Muchova, but she will now turn her focus to the WTA 500 Linz, which starts in early April.
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