Alex Eala
Alexandra Maniego Eala (born May 23, 2005) is a Filipina professional tennis player.[1]
.jpg.webp) Eala in May 2022 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Full name | Alexandra Maniego Eala | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ITF name | Alexandra Eala | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country (sports) |  Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | May 23, 2005 Quezon City, Philippines | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Turned pro | March 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Plays | Left (two-handed backhand) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Prize money | US$ 142,489 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Singles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 103–56 (64.8%) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 4 ITF | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 189 (02 October 2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | No. 189 (02 October 2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Grand Slam singles results | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australian Open | Q1 (2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Doubles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career record | 19–20 (48.7%) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career titles | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | No. 432 (25 September 2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Current ranking | No. 432 (25 September 2023) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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| Last updated on: 25 September 2023. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Eala was the No. 2-ranked ITF junior on October 6, 2020.[2] She has a career-high singles ranking by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) of 189, achieved on 02 October 2023. Eala is the highest-ranked Filipino female singles player in WTA Tour history, surpassing Maricris Gentz, who peaked at No. 284 on October 18, 1999.[3] Eala won her first junior singles title at the 2022 US Open, making her the first Filipino player to win a junior Grand Slam singles title.
Personal life
Her mother Rosemarie "Rizza" Maniego-Eala is a 1985 Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist in the 100-meter backstroke and currently serves as the chief financial officer of Globe Telecom. She is the niece of Philippine Sports Commission chairperson and former Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Noli Eala. Her brother, Michael (Miko), plays tennis for the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions.[4] She has been a student of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor (Mallorca, Spain), since she was 12 years old.[5]
Junior career
Grand Slam performance - singles:
- Australian Open: 3R (2020)
- French Open: SF (2020)
- Wimbledon: 2R (2021)
- US Open: W (2022)
Grand Slam performance - doubles:
- Australian Open: W (2020)
- French Open: W (2021)
- Wimbledon: 2R (2021)
- US Open: SF (2021)
2018
At the age of 12, Eala won the 2018 Les Petit As 14-and-under tournament, beating Linda Nosková in the finals.[6] She made her junior Grand Slam debut at the 2019 US Open.[7] She was named the 2019 Milo Junior Athlete of the Year. [8]
2020: First junior doubles title
Eala won the 2020 Australian girls' doubles event, partnering Priska Madelyn Nugroho. They defeated Živa Falkner and Matilda Mutavdzic in the final.[9]
Eala peaked in the junior rankings at No. 2, after reaching the semifinals at the 2020 French Open girls' singles competition.[10]
2021: Second junior doubles title
Eala paid tribute to her roots on Independence Day following another major triumph, this time on the clay court in Paris. Eala and her Russian partner Oksana Selekhmeteva captured the French Open girls' doubles title Saturday. They were the top seeds in the tournament, won after knocking out Maria Bondarenko of Russia and Amarissa Kiara Tóth of Hungary, 6–0, 7–5, in the final.[11]
2022: First junior Grand Slam singles title
On September 11, 2022, Eala became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles championship and the only Filipino with multiple junior Grand Slam titles. She defeated the No. 2 seed, Lucie Havlickova of the Czech Republic, in the girls' singles final of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.[12]
Professional career
2020: Professional career debut
Eala made her debut on the ITF Women's Circuit on March 4, 2020, as she played in the $15k event at Monastir, Tunisia where she won her first professional match.[13]
2021: First ITF senior title, top 1000 & WTA debuts
She leaped to the top 1000 in the WTA rankings, after winning the title at the first leg of the $15k Manacor event in Spain in January 2021.[14]
She received a wildcard into the qualifying draw of the Miami Open where she lost to Viktória Kužmová in a three-set battle in the first round.
Eala made her first ITF doubles final at the $25k Platja d'Aro in Spain, playing with Oksana Selekhmeteva. They lost to Lithuania's Justina Mikulskyte and Romanian Oana Georgeta Simion, 3-6, 5-7.[15]
In August, she made her WTA Tour main-draw debut at the 2021 Winners Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania after receiving a wildcard. In her first match, she defeated Paula Ormaechea in straight sets. In the next match, she lost to Mayar Sherif, in straight sets.
2022: Masters 1000 debut
She received a wildcard for her Masters 1000 debut in Miami. She lost to Madison Brengle in the first round in straight sets.
2023: Grand Slam and top 200 debuts
Eala made her debut in the qualifying draw of the Australian Open; she lost her first match to Misaki Doi in a tight three-setter. Her next appearance was at the Hua Hin Championship, where she beat Han Xinyun and Kristina Dmitruk in straight sets to reach the main draw. In her first-round match, she fell to Tatjana Maria.
She entered the top 200 on 28 August 2023 and reached a new career high ranking of world No. 191 on 18 September 2023.[16]
At the 2022 Asian Games won two bronze medals, one in the women's singles and the second in the mixed doubles with Francis Alcantara[17]
Performance timeline
| W | F | SF | QF | #R | RR | Q# | P# | DNQ | A | Z# | PO | G | S | B | NMS | NTI | P | NH |
Only main-draw results in WTA Tour, Grand Slam tournaments, Fed Cup/Billie Jean King Cup and Olympic Games are included in win–loss records.
Singles
Current after the 2023 Madrid Open.
| Tournament | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | SR | W–L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grand Slam tournaments | ||||||
| Australian Open | A | A | Q1 | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| French Open | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| Wimbledon | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| US Open | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| Win–loss | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| WTA 1000 | ||||||
| Dubai / Qatar Open[lower-alpha 1] | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| Indian Wells Open | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| Miami Open | Q1 | 1R | 1R | 0 / 2 | 0–2 | 0% |
| Madrid Open | A | Q1 | 1R | 0 / 1 | 0–1 | – |
| Italian Open | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| Canadian Open | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| Cincinnati Open | A | A | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – |
| Wuhan Open | NH | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | |
| China Open | NH | A | 0 / 0 | 0–0 | – | |
| Career statistics | ||||||
| Tournaments | 1 | 1 | 3 | Career total: 5 | ||
| Overall win–loss | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–3 | 0 / 5 | 1–5 | 33% |
| Win % | 50% | 0% | 0% | Career total: 33% | ||
| Year-end ranking | 529 | 219 | $64,590 | |||
Singles: 6 (4 titles, 2 runner-ups)
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Jan 2021 | ITF Manacor, Spain | 15,000 | Hard |  Yvonne Cavallé Reimers |
5–7, 6–1, 6–2 |
| 2–0 | Apr 2022 | ITF Chiang Rai, Thailand | 25,000 |  Luksika Kumkhum |
6–4, 6–2 | ||
| Loss | 2–1 | Jun 2022 | ITF Madrid Open, Spain | 60,000 | Marina Bassols Ribera |
4–6, 5–7 | |
| Win | 3–1 | Jun 2023 | ITF Yecla, Spain | 25,000 | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Valentina Ryser |
6–3, 7–5 | |
| 4–1 | Aug 2023 | ITF Roehampton, United Kingdom | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Arina Rodionova |
6–2, 6–3 | |||
| Loss | 4–2 | ITF Aldershot, United Kingdom | Destanee Aiava |
6–3, 4–6, 1–6 | |||
Doubles: 1 (runner–up)
|
|
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | May 2021 | ITF Platja d'Aro, Spain | 25,000 | Clay |  Oksana Selekhmeteva |
 Oana Georgeta Simion  Justina Mikulskytė |
3–6, 5–7 |
Junior Grand Slam finals
Singles: 1 (title)
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2022 | US Open | Hard |  Lucie Havlíčková | 6–2, 6–4 |
Doubles: 2 (2 titles)
| Result | Date | Tournament | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 2020 | Australian Open | Hard |  Priska Madelyn Nugroho |  Živa Falkner  Matilda Mutavdzic | 6–1, 6–2 |
| Win | 2021 | French Open | Clay | Oksana Selekhmeteva | Maria Bondarenko  Amarissa Kiara Tóth | 6–0, 7–5 |
ITF Junior finals
| Legend |
|---|
| Grade A |
| Grade 1 |
| Grade 2 |
| Grade 3 |
| Grade 4 |
| Grade 5 |
Singles 9 (4 titles, 5 runner-ups)
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Loss | 0–1 | Jul 2018 | ITF Jakarta, Indonesia | G4 | Hard | Priska Madelyn Nugroho |
2–6, 6–4, 1–6 |
| Win | 1–1 | Oct 2018 | ITF Alicante, Spain | G5 | Clay | Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro |
6–2, 6–3 |
| Win | 2–1 | Nov 2018 | ITF Makati City, Philippines | G4 | Clay | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Dasha Plekhanova |
6–4, 6–2 |
| Loss | 2–2 | Nov 2018 | ITF Manila, Philippines | G4 | Clay | Janice Tjen |
3–6, 6–2, 5–7 |
| Loss | 2–3 | Jan 2019 | ITF New Delhi, India | G2 | Hard |  Federica Sacco |
5–7, 3–6 |
| Loss | 2–4 | Jan 2019 | ITF Kolkata, India | G2 | Clay | Mai Napatt Nirundorn |
6–2, 3–6, 2–6 |
| Win | 3–4 | Sep 2019 | ITF Cape Town, South Africa | GA | Hard | Linda Fruhvirtová |
6–3, 6–3 |
| Loss | 3–5 | Oct 2019 | ITF Osaka, Japan | GA | Hard |  Diane Parry |
2–6, 4–6 |
| Win | 4–5 | Jul 2021 | ITF Milan, Italy | GA | Clay | Nikola Bartůňková |
6–3, 6–3 |
Doubles 5 (3 titles, 2 runner-ups)
| Result | W–L | Date | Tournament | Tier | Surface | Partner | Opponents | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 1–0 | Oct 2018 | ITF Alicante, Spain | G5 | Clay |  Joelle Lilly Sophie Steur |
Maria Dzemeshkevich Lily Hutchings |
6–2, 6–2 |
| Loss | 1–1 | Jun 2019 | ITF Offenbach, Germany | G1 | Clay | Annerly Poulos |
Selena Janicijevic Carole Monnet |
4–6, 2–6 |
| Loss | 1–2 | Sep 2019 | ITF Cape Town, South Africa | G2 | Hard |  Elvina Kalieva |
 Weronika Baszak Matilda Mutavdzic |
3–6, 6–4, [3–10] |
| Win | 2–2 | Dec 2019 | ITF Plantation, United States | GA | Clay |  Evialina Laskevich |
Jada Bui Melodie Collard |
6–3, 6–7(3), [10–5] |
| Win | 3–2 | Jul 2021 | ITF Milan, Italy | GA | Clay | Madison Sieg |
 Lucija Ciric Bagaric .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Sofia Costoulas |
6–4, 4–6, [13–11] |
Notes
- The first Premier 5 event of the year has switched back and forth between the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Qatar Open since 2009. Dubai was classified as a Premier 5 event from 2009 to 2011 before being succeeded by Doha for the 2012–2014 period. In 2015, Dubai regained its Premier 5 status while Doha was demoted to Premier status. The Premier 5 tournaments were reclassified as WTA 1000 tournaments in 2021.
References
- "Alexandra Eala | Player Stats & More – WTA Official".
- "Alexandra Eala". October 12, 2020 – via www.itftennis.com.
- Mina, Rosy (September 11, 2022). "Alex Eala reigns at US Open for first major junior girls' singles title". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
- "Michael Francis Eala Overview".
- "Alex Eala". April 11, 2022.
- "Lilov & Eala win at Les Petits As". tenniseurope. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
- "Filipina Alex Eala makes US Open juniors debut vs tough Aussie". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 1, 2019.
- "Top Juniors Honored". Business Mirror. February 22, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
- "Alex Eala wins first juniors Grand Slam title in 2020 Australian Open". Rappler. January 31, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- "Alex Eala clinches juniors world No. 2 after French Open romp". Rappler. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- "Alex Eala wins Grand Slam on Independence Day: 'I hope I made my contribution to the country'". Inquirer.net. June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
- "Alex Eala reigns at US Open for first major junior girls' singles title". abs-cbn.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
- "Alex Eala to make pro debut in Tunisian tourney". Philstar. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
- "Alex Eala enters top 1000 in Women's Tennis Association World Ranking". msm news. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
- "Alex Eala, partner finish second place at W25 Spain". sports.inquirer.net. May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
- https://sports.inquirer.net/529837/alex-eala-soars-to-new-high-in-wta-rankings-ahead-of-asian-games
- Ramos, Gerry (September 29, 2023). "Eala, Alcantara win bronze on another slow day for Team Philippines". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved September 30, 2023.