Alexandra Eala has rapidly become one of the most popular players in tennis, despite her very brief career so far.
Eala has been proven to be more popular than Carlos Alcaraz, with her popularity highlighted by the huge crowds attempting to watch her play at the Australian Open.
The same situation played out when she moved on to the Abu Dhabi Open, proving that tennis fans simply can’t get enough of the talented 20-year-old.
Eala has risen to 45th in the world rankings following the Australian Open, with her continued rise definitely welcomed with open arms by the WTA Tour.
Who surprised you the most at the Australian Open this year?
Did they surprise you in a positive or negative way?
Joao Fonseca can be the ATP’s equivalent to Alexandra Eala
Fortunately for the ATP Tour, Joao Fonseca has emerged in a similar light to Eala, and he’s even well ahead of her in many regards.
The 19-year-old Brazilian has climbed as high as 24th in the world rankings, while he already boasts two ATP titles.
Eala doesn’t have any WTA titles, but she has still managed to build a huge following, just as Fonseca has.
Brazilian fans have constantly turned up in huge numbers to watch their favorite in action, creating quite the atmosphere in various stadiums.
Eala’s Philippines fans have done the exact same, with both youngsters superbly flying the flags for their respective nations.
Intriguingly, the exciting duo have already caught the eye of legendary players who have come before them.
Roger Federer has high hopes for Fonseca, while Eala has trained with Rafael Nadal, having emerged from his academy.
| Joao Fonseca | Alexandra Eala | |
| 19 | Age | 20 |
| 34 | Current rank | 45 |
| 24 | Career-high rank | 45 |
| 2 | Titles | 0 |
| 37-25 | Win-loss | 199-120 |
| $2,692,495 | Prize money | $1,493,017 |
Can Joao Fonseca challenge Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner?
Fonseca may only be 19 years old, but he’s already made huge strides on the ATP Tour, and his rivals will be well aware that the best is yet to come.
The popular Brazilian burst onto the scene with his 2024 NextGen ATP Finals title, following in the footsteps of current world beaters Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner.
Since then, he’s lifted trophies in Buenos Aires and Basel, earning himself $2,692,495 in prize money along the way.
Now back in Argentina this week to defend his title, the teenage talent has a career win-loss record of 37-25.
Which Grand Slam title would you like to see Joao Fonseca win?
It represents a fantastic chance for the Brazilian to really get his 2026 season up and running, with Fonseca having lost in the Australian Open first round.
In a season already disrupted by injury, his defeat to Eliot Spizzirri in Melbourne represents his only match of 2026 so far.
But it’s clear that he is heading for a very bright future, one which could culminate in Fonseca emerging as a genuine challenger to leading ATP duo Alcaraz and Sinner.
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