For 19-year-old Alex Eala, defeating top 10 players like Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys still feels surreal.
She admitted she never imagined overcoming such formidable opponents, aware of the challenge they present. Yet, against the odds, she managed to pull off the upsets.
“It’s a bit hard to swallow, knowing that you’ve beaten a lot of really good players—because they’re such big wins,” Eala shared, reflecting on her breakthrough performance at the Miami Open.
Now riding a wave of momentum, Eala is preparing for a string of European tournaments leading up to her first-ever main draw appearance at the professional level in Roland Garros. Her recent successes have propelled her to a career-high WTA ranking of No. 73.
“I’m super proud of myself to say that I’ve beaten top 5 players. It’s very surreal for me,” she said.
Eala’s meteoric rise has also sparked dreams beyond the tour. With her surge in the rankings and impressive run in Miami, representing the Philippines in the 2028 Paris Olympics has now become a real aspiration.
“I think the Olympics is such a big event. It’s definitely one of my goals to represent the country there—hopefully in 2028,” she said.
Next on her schedule is the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal from April 14 to 20, followed by the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain from April 22 to May 4.
Although Eala missed the previous Olympics, she draws inspiration from fellow Filipino athletes who have represented the country with pride.
“I wasn’t there at the Paris Olympics, but I’m happy to see Filipinos excel—like Carlos Yulo. He was a big inspiration for the country,” she added.
Clay has been a successful surface for Eala since her junior days. In 2021, she teamed up with Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva to win the Roland-Garros girls’ doubles title against Amarissa Toth and Hungary’s Maria Bondarenko—her second Grand Slam crown. Before that, she captured the 2020 Australian Open junior doubles title with Indonesia’s Priska Nugroho.
In 2022, Eala claimed her first Grand Slam singles title by defeating Lucie Havlickova of the Czech Republic at the US Open junior girls’ event.
“I’m excited for the Grand Slams ahead, especially Roland-Garros. I know I’ll be in the main draw, so I’m really looking forward to it,” said Eala.
The French Open is set to run from May 25 to June 8, with top stars like world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, and Madison Keys expected to compete.