At just 21, Alex Eala already has big-name sponsors and impressive career earnings.
Alex Eala, just 21 years old, is already being called the next Serena Williams, and her career earnings and sponsors list are truly impressive. Last week, she won her first WTA Tour title in Washington by beating World #3 Jessica Pegula in a tough three-set match. In the final set, Alex even won 6-0, a score known as a “bagel,” showing her strong performance against the American player.
This big win at a WTA 500 event helped Eala climb to 20th in the world rankings. Tomorrow, she’ll play in the Round of 16 at the WTA 1000 tournament in Toronto, where she will face Belinda Bencic from Switzerland. Bencic is an Olympic Gold medalist and has won ten singles titles on the Tour.
Alex’s quick rise is thanks to her great matches against top players. For example, at Wimbledon earlier this year, she beat the defending champion Iga Swiatek before losing in the Round of 16 to Italy’s Jasmine Paolini. Now that she has her first Tour title, Eala will head into the US Open with hope for a breakthrough at a Grand Slam, just like Emma Raducanu did when she won the tournament in 2021.
At such a young age, Alex’s success has also led to many sponsorships and big earnings. Former British #1 Greg Rusedski even said she reminds him of Serena Williams, one of the greatest players ever. So far, Eala has earned nearly $3 million from tennis, and winning in Toronto could push her past that milestone.
Her spot is already secured among the top 300 highest earners in tennis history, and her many sponsorship deals with brands like Nike, Globe Telecom, and Milo Philippines might soon place her even higher. Luxury brands are also interested in teaming up with this rising star, who looks set to win multiple Grand Slam titles.
Alex has already beaten several top ten players, including Paolini, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina, Swiatek twice, and Pegula. But her popularity isn’t only about her skills on the court—like many tennis legends, she shines off the court, too.
Rusedski compared Eala to Serena not just because of her talent, but also because of the amazing fan support she’s receiving. “Wherever Serena played, the crowd was always cheering for her,” he said. “Now we’re seeing the same with Eala. The Filipino people really follow her, and she’s the biggest sports star in the country right now, bigger than any male or female athlete.”