Win or Lose, Alex Eala Is More Than Deserving of Her Flowers
Alex Eala is the greatest Filipina tennis player of her generation, and that’s not a hot take. The 20-year-old athlete has made a name for herself as a rising star in the sport ever since she began playing at the start of her teen years, with notable wins here and there. And in 2026, she’s starting the year proving that she is still a rising tennis star with her impact on and beyond the court, if her time at the 2026 Australian Open is anything to go by.
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Australian Open Debut
The Gen Z tennis ace made history, yet again, by recently competing in the 2026 Australian Open in Melbourne. Not only did it mark the first time she was playing in the main draw of the Australian Open, but she was also the only Filipina to do so this year. Competing in both women’s singles and doubles, Alex gave a valiant effort despite early outs in both. She capped her first-ever Australian Open main draw participation with a 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to Alycia Parks in women’s singles and a 7-6, 2-6, 6-3 defeat with her partner, Ingrid Martins, to Shuko Aoyama and Magda Linette in women’s doubles.
Still, despite her run ending early, Alex gave it all on the court and received a rockstar welcome and reception from the crowd. Notably, during her singles match, Alex received thunderous support from the Filipinos watching in the crowd, which caused the umpire to warn them several times during the match. Alex even took her time to accommodate fans who wanted to cheer her on as she was exiting the venue following her first-round loss. This graciousness was also seen after her singles match, where she reflected on her defeat.
“Tough loss today, but dropping this here as a reminder to be happy about living out your dreams even if it comes with bad days,” she shared on an Instagram Story. Not all victories are won on the court, and the fact that Alex got so many Filipinos to cheer her and watch her games, not just online but also in person, is already a win and shows her growing influence as a Filipina in professional tennis. The support was something that also didn’t slip the young tennis star’s mind.
As she wrote in an Instagram Story after her Australian Open participation, “I wanted to touch on the enormous amount of support I’ve received this week. It’s truly moving to see how my work can touch so many lives in one way or another. It reminds me that what I do is part of something shared. This year’s AO has left a lasting impression, and is an experience I’ll carry with me as I work moving forward. See you next year.”
On The Rise
To lose back-to-back matches is tough for any athlete, but Alex handled it with a maturity and thoughtfulness that one wouldn’t expect from someone as young as her. Every great athlete stumbles along the way, and Alex is using the moment not as a loss but as a lesson to further learn and grow. Besides, that doesn’t diminish how far Alex has come in just a few years. This, after all, is the same Alex Eala who, less than a year ago, defeated three Grand Slam winners at the 2025 Miami Open. She then capped off the year by winning gold in women’s tennis singles at the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, becoming the first Filipina to do so in 26 years.
During her first tournament in 2026 at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, earlier in the month, Alex had an impressive run and made it all the way to the semifinals for women’s singles. In the same event during the women’s doubles, she and Iva Jovic notably defeated veterans Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina.
This is all on top of Alex achieving a career milestone at the start of the year by being ranked World No. 49 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, making it a career high so far, and becoming the first Filipina in history to break into the Top 50. It’s been milestone after milestone for Alex, who also has a career-high world doubles ranking of No. 134, and she’s just getting started.
Up next for her is competing as a qualifying wild card in the 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open from January 31 to February 7. It is also expected that Alex will compete in the first-ever WTA 125 event in the country, the Philippine Women’s Open, from January 26 to 31 at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center, as a main draw wildcard. If she does choose to compete on home soil, it will make for a competition to watch.
The higher ranking and main draw inclusions mean Alex will face higher stakes and bigger pressure moving forward, but her hard work, perseverance, and talent have led her this far. With every win, achievement, and loss, Alex continues to get better at her game, and we hope she continues to make her mark on the sport and inspire other Filipinos to do the same.
Photos: ALEX EALA (via Instagram)
The post Win or Lose, Alex Eala Is More Than Deserving of Her Flowers first appeared on MEGA.
Win or Lose, Alex Eala Is More Than Deserving of Her Flowers
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