Alexandra Eala is easily one of the most popular tennis players right now, and she fully deserves the hype surrounding her.
Many tennis fans may rightfully be questioning how Eala has attracted such a huge following, given both her age and her lack of a WTA title.
The 20-year-old has picked up many impressive wins in her relatively brief career so far, but they haven’t yet equated to a maiden trophy.
That comes in contrast to many of her young rivals, with the likes of Victoria Mboko, Mirra Andreeva and Iva Jovic all outshining her on the court.
All three are younger and have achieved greater success, both in terms of titles and rankings, but Eala’s hype is entirely understandable and indeed justified.
Alexandra Eala will finish 2026 ranked — in the world
Fill in the blanks!
Alexandra Eala deserves the hype as the leading Filipino in tennis
Arguably singling her out from the majority of her rivals right now is that Eala is currently playing with the hopes of an entire nation on her shoulders.
Loyal and indeed noisy supporters travel far and wide to see the youngster in action, celebrating her after a win or a loss.
And that is no surprise given that there is currently no other Filipino tennis player ranked inside the top 1000 across the WTA or ATP tours.
Much to their delight, the current world number 32 is now up to 28 in the WTA live rankings after her run at Indian Wells.
She reached the round of 16 on her debut at the WTA 1000 tournament in California, where Eala was beaten by Linda Noskova, another rising star.
Who is your favorite player on the WTA Tour right now?
Alexandra Eala out to defend her points at the Miami Open
The crazy journey for Eala will continue at the Miami Open, where the Filipina superstar is defending 390 points, which is a big ask.
That is because of her stunning run at last year’s event, when she truly announced herself to the tennis world by reaching the semifinals.
READ MORE: From Alexandra Eala to Joao Fonseca: The 5 most exciting young players in tennis right now
This year’s tournament will now be a real test of her character, but there is every chance that she can enjoy a lengthy run once more.
She clearly enjoys playing at the Miami Open, where she overcame Iga Swiatek, Madison Keys and Jelena Ostapenko last March.
Moreover, Eala believes she belongs at this level after making further strides at Indian Wells, with her confidence unsurprisingly high at this moment in time.
Miami Open reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka is defending 1000 points, with finalist Jessica Pegula defending 650, while Eala’s fellow semifinalist Jasmine Paolini is also defending 390.
Receive exclusive tennis news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
