Junior major champ Alex Eala climbs pro ranks with support of the Philippines – and Rafael Nadal
Having moved to train at the Rafa Nadal Academy at age 13, the 2022 US Open junior champion has cracked the Top 200 in the world, making her the highest-ranked Filipino woman ever.
Tennis
It’s been a whirlwind few months for Alex Eala.
A year after becoming the Philippines’ first junior Grand Slam tennis champion at the US Open, the 18-year-old has flourished on the pro tour, capturing two ITF titles and cracking the WTA’s Top 200 – something many players work their whole career for.
She’s also had a shining year off the court, including meeting famed Miami Heat NBA coach – and fellow Filipino – Erik Spoelstra while at a tournament in Florida.
This week (18 September 2023), she sits at a career-high world No.191 in the WTA rankings, having made her debut at the qualifying level of the majors at the Australian Open and successfully qualifying for three WTA events.
Still a teen, Eala is proving she is on her way to making what many in the sport call the toughest of transitions - from the top level of the juniors to the top level of the pros.
Ambitions are high for the youngster, who also won two junior majors in doubles. She shared her goals exclusively with Olympics.com last year:
“I want to be number one, win some Grand Slams, but of course, also to win the Olympics [would be] a huge thing,” Eala said. “After Hidilyn [Diaz]'s win, you know, it's very inspiring to so many athletes and to so many Filipinos.”
Eala was referring to weightlifter Diaz, who captured the Philippines its first-ever Olympic gold, at Tokyo 2020.
"The Olympics is a very unique experience,” Eala continued. “It's different than all the other tennis tournaments that you play. I don't know how to explain it. I think that it's more for your country than for yourself.”
Alex Eala: On the rise – with Rafael Nadal on her side
As Eala crisscrossed the globe this year – from Australia to Thailand to Europe and the Americas – she has also succeeded in winning matches at a variety of events.
Her fourth career ITF World Tennis Tour title matched her biggest, and came at Roehampton, Great Britain, last month, where she beat four Top 300 players en route. It helped launch her inside the Top 200.
The lefty is 37-19 overall and scored her second-best win by ranking last week (17 September) by beating world No.144 Elizabeth Mandlik to make the main draw at the WTA event in Guangzhou, China.
Eala has made this progress with a special tennis legend in her corner, having spent part of her developmental career at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, moving there at age 13. She graduated from the academy in June of this year.
Rafael Nadal, himself a 22-time major champion and two-time Olympic gold medallist, has become a mentor of sorts to Eala.
"He loves the work, you can tell,” Eala explained of Nadal. “He really loves to coach. And he's very intense when he coaches, of course. He's someone with so much knowledge and so much experience on the tour so I've learned a lot from him."
What does she admire most about the legend?
"His focus and his mental composure," she said. "How he's able to fight so much during the tough points but able to keep his cool when he's down and stay motivated during the matches."
A growing name (and brand) in the Philippines
While she is yet to crack into the elite echelon of women’s tennis, Eala is already making waves not only for sports fans but all Filipinos.
The teen athlete has appeared on the cover of Vogue Philippines, and has signed deals with major brands who believe – much like she and her team do – that big things are around the corner.
She is already the nation’s highest-ranked female player ever, and is fourth overall, with Cecil Mamiit having achieved world No.72 in 1999.
Eala is aware of her national standing – and what she could do for the sport in her home nation.
“I'm super happy to represent my country and do something with a big platform, being able to inspire other younger people,” she said after winning the junior US Open.
She seems keen to use the backing of 114 million Filipinos at home (and many more abroad) to her advantage, too.
“I fought with my heart for this trophy,” she said at the US Open. “It's not just my win, it's all of our wins. I did this not just for myself, I did it so I could help Philippine tennis.”