Alex Eala happy to play her part in PH’s growing love for tennis

Tennis – Madrid Open – Park Manzanares, Madrid, Spain – April 24, 2025 Philippines’ Alexandra Eala reacts during her round of 64 match against Poland’s Iga Swiatek REUTERS/Juan Medina

MANILA, Philippines—Tennis is gaining more attention in the Philippines, and Alex Eala is glad to see the sport she loves reaching more Filipinos.

Tennis is gaining traction in the Philippines, and Alex Eala is glad to see the sport she loves reaching more Filipinos.

“I’m so happy with the attention that tennis is getting right now in Manila because I see so many people, especially on Instagram, picking up rackets and making videos,” said Eala in an interview with WTA.

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“I’m so grateful that what I’ve done has, hopefully, played a part in that.”

Eala didn’t find much success in her most recent outing at the Madrid Open two weeks ago, where she bowed out in the Round of 64 to Iga Swiatek, but she remains the only Filipino to have won a match in the WTA1000 tournament.

But long before that, she had already left a strong impression on Filipino tennis fans, and that interest reached fever pitch after a breakout performance at the Miami Open last month.

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The 18-year-old came just short of reaching the final, falling in the semifinals to Jessica Pegula.

Before that, though, Eala had quite the Cinderella run, beating No. 25 Jelena Ostapenko, No. 5 Madison Keys, and No. 2 Swiatek and earning the respect of tennis fans all around the world.

More importantly, she raised the profile of tennis in the Philippines.

“I’d love to see how tennis can grow into a big sport in the Philippines,” she said.

Next up for the Filipina tennis ace is the Italian Open starting this Tuesday, Manila time.