By Jean Malanum
MANILA – Alex Eala is looking forward to leading the Philippine campaign at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in December.
She is currently No. 54 on the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, a career-best after playing in 30 tournaments.
Eala is also the third-highest-ranked Asian in the world after China’s Qinweng Zheng (No. 10) and Xinyu Wang (No. 37).
“This will be my second SEA Games and I look forward to joining the rest of the Philippine team in competing at the highest level,” the 20-year-old told the Philippine News Agency Tuesday.
Eala debuted at the 2021 Vietnam SEA Games, bagging three bronze medals from the singles, mixed doubles (with Fil-Am Treat Huey), and team (with Marian Capadocia, Shaira Hope Rivera, and Jenaila Rose Prulla) events.
The Philippines last won the women’s singles in Brunei (1999), courtesy of Maricris Fernandez.
“The goal is to give my best and keep improving. Winning is the result of that, but I never let myself get complacent – that’s why I keep training hard every day. I’m pushing myself to go for gold at the SEA Games and represent my country the best I can,” said Eala, a graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain.
In the just-concluded Sushou WTA 125 in China, the fourth-seeded Eala defeated Polish Kataryzna Kawa (6-3, 3-6, 7-5) and Belgian Greet Minnen (7-6 [5], 6-7 [3], 7-5) to reach the quarterfinal round, where she lost to No. 6 seed Swiss Viktorija Golubic, 6-2, 2-6, 6-7 (0).
Last week, Eala bowed to Lulu Sun of New Zealand, 6-3, 4-6, 2-6, at the WTA 125 Jingshan Open.
Eala, who started competing on the WTA Tour in 2021, won her first title at the Guadalajara 125 Open in Mexico on Sept. 7 after beating world No. 134 Hungarian Panna Udvardy, 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.
At the 2025 Miami Open in March, Eala conquered Grand Slam champions Latvian Jelena Ostapenko, American Madison Keys, and Polish Iga Swiatek to reach the semifinal round, eventually losing to American Jessica Pegula, 6-7 (3), 7-5, 3-6.
Eala reached her first WTA final at the Lexus Eastbourne Open in June, bowing to Australian Maya Joint, 4-6, 6-1, 6-7 (10).
At the US Open, Eala survived world No. 14 Carla Tauson of Denmark, 6-3, 2-6, 7-6 (13-11), in the first round to become the first Filipino to win a main draw match at a Grand Slam event. She, however, failed to advance after losing to Spanish Cristina Bucsa, 4-6, 3-6, in the second round. (PNA)
