Alex Eala makes tennis history as the US Open begins
Alex Eala is on an amazing journey, making tennis history as she gets ready for the US Open.
This Tuesday, she’ll kick off the tournament in mixed doubles, teaming up with Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime. They’ll face the husband-and-wife duo, Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils.
If they win, Eala and Auger-Aliassime might even go up against the exciting pair of Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic later on.
Alex will also play in the singles matches, and she’s already had a huge moment in her career. At just 21, she’s climbed to No. 18 in the latest WTA rankings—the highest she’s ever been!
Even more impressive, that’s the best ranking ever for a Southeast Asian woman in singles, beating the old record of No. 19 held by Yayuk Basuki and Tamarine Tanasugarn from Indonesia and Thailand.
Starting the year outside the top 50, Alex has had a fantastic run. She won the Birmingham Challenger, reached the fourth round at Wimbledon, and then won her first WTA title at the Washington Open.
Her prize money has grown a lot too, and with Nike as her sponsor, she even broke a record when a new shirt she wore sold out within hours—faster than stars like Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner!
Alex’s rise to fame has been quick, and she’s proud to represent the Philippines, where many see her as the next big sports star since boxer Manny Pacquiao.
All the attention can be a lot for a young player, but Alex is handling it really well.
Her coach, Joan Bosch, said it’s both exciting and a bit “scary,” but Alex loves the support from her fans.
“We never imagined it would be like this,” Bosch told Tennis365.
“The Filipino community and fans are amazing. Wherever we go, they’re there. On a flight from Washington to Toronto, we met some Filipinos who traveled just to see Alex again.”
“The fans really believe in her and bring so much energy when she’s playing. The court in Toronto was packed every day during her matches.”
“It can be tough to keep performing at her best with all this pressure. Last week was hard because she just won in Washington and flew straight to Toronto. But I’m happy she played two strong matches so far.”
Alex’s story is inspiring, and she’s showing the world what she can do—one match at a time!