Why Alex Eala will never deal with the wild card problem Stan Wawrinka had earlier this year

Follow us on Google Discover

While Alex Eala qualified through her ranking, Stan Wawrinka needed a wild card to play this year’s Australian Open.

And he was very nearly snubbed, before tournament director Craig Tiley offered him a spot in the main draw at the last minute.

Wawrinka isn’t the only player fighting for wild cards, as several ATP and WTA Tour stars need a helping hand to compete in events.

Alexandra Eala will finish 2026 ranked — in the world

Fill in the blanks!

Comment

Like or Comment

Have your say Sign-in now for free

Unfortunately, there are only a few wild cards available, and some big names often miss out.

Eala doesn’t need to worry about wild cards right now, thanks to her ranking (47th on the WTA Tour), but her popularity means she may never experience the same problem as Wawrinka.

Filipino fans guarantee Alex Eala unlimited WTA Tour wild cards

Eala is arguably the most popular player in women’s tennis right now.

The 20-year-old brings with her a passionate army of Filipino fans wherever she goes.

Eala’s matches are almost always sold out, much to the delight of tournament organisers.

If Eala chooses to play your tournament, it’s good news for ticket sales!

That’s the reason why she will never need to worry about wild cards.

Should the world number 47 fall down the rankings and fail to qualify for an event, tournament organisers won’t think twice before offering her a wild card.

The financial reward of having Eala’s fans in and around the grounds far outweighs any costs.

We saw evidence of this just a few weeks ago.

Eala’s ranking wasn’t quite strong enough to see her qualify for the Qatar Open WTA 1000 event.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, she was given a wild card.

The Filipina didn’t need it in the end, as mass withdrawals pushed her into the main draw anyway, but the point remains the same.

Assuming she can keep fans on side, which is a fair assumption given her likeable personality, Eala should be able to take any wild card she pleases between now and the end of her career.

But how many wild cards has she used so far?

During the first few years of her career, Eala took advantage of multiple wild cards, awarded to her through her management company.

Alex Eala has used 12 wild cards so far

IMG [International Management Group] manage Eala.

The management company also runs several WTA events, including the Miami Open and Madrid Open.

They helped give Eala her WTA 1000 debuts, by offering her wild cards to both tournaments well before her ranking justified an appearance.

In total, the Filipina has entered 12 events as a wild card.

Alex Eala’s wild card performances

She failed to make the most of her first 10, winning just one qualifying match and two main draw bouts.

Those performances led some to question whether she deserved her place in the Miami Open and Madrid Open draws.

Silencing the doubters, Eala made her breakthrough in Florida last year.

Alex Eala at the 2025 Miami Open

• 2025 Miami Open 1R [WIN] vs Katie Volynets, 6-3, 7-6
• 2025 Miami Open 2R [WIN] vs Jelena Ostapenko, 7-6, 7-5
• 2025 Miami Open 3R [WIN] vs Madison Keys, 6-4, 6-2
• 2025 Miami Open 4R [Walkover] vs Paula Badosa
• 2025 Miami Open QF [WIN] vs Iga Swiatek, 6-2, 7-5
• 2025 Miami Open SF [LOSS] vs Jessica Pegula, 6-7, 7-5, 3-6

Eala defeated three former Grand Slam champions (Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek) to reach the semifinals of the Miami Open.

In doing so, she established herself as one of the brightest prospects in women’s tennis.

Eala used another wild card at the Madrid Open a few months later, where she secured another main draw win.

That was the last time she needed a wild card, but if she ever does need to call upon tournament organisers, Eala can rest assured that they’ll be happy to help.