Who is Alex Eala? Teen star making history with Miami Open run

Oli Dickson Jefford 24 Mar 2025 12:03 PM

Pictured: Alex Eala waits to return a serve.

Alex Eala in action.

Few players have created as many headlines at the Miami Open as Alex Eala, following her epic run to the second week of the WTA 1000 event.

Ahead of her impending clash against tenth seed Paula Badosa, we look at all there is to know about the rising star.

Early life and junior success

A big breakthrough run has long been expected from Eala, with the 19-year-old having huge success as a junior.

Born in Quezon City, the Filipina was raised in a sporting family, with her mum Rosemarie having represented the Philippines in swimming at the Southeast Asian Games.

Eala was just 12 when she won the prestigious Les Petit As in 2018, defeating Linda Noskova in the final, and then made her junior Grand Slam debut as a 14-year-old at the 2019 US Open.

Partnering with Priska Madelyn Nugroho, she won the girls’ doubles title at the 2020 Australian Open and later that year would reach the last four of the girls’ singles at Roland Garros.

After winning the French Open girls’ doubles title alongside Oksana Selekhmeteva, Eala achieved a significant breakthrough with her triumph in the 2022 US Open girls’ singles event.

Seeded tenth in the draw, Eala defeated Mirra Andreeva in the last eight before a 6-2, 6-4 win against second seed Lucie Havlickova in the final.

She became the first Filipino player to win a junior singles Grand Slam title, having previously peaked at a high of world No 2 in the junior rankings.

Transition into senior game

Eala’s transition into the senior game has not always been easy.

The 19-year-old is yet to make her Grand Slam main draw debut, having lost in the third round of qualifying at the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open in 2024.

However, she received wildcards into the main draw of the Miami Open in 2022 and 2023, and at the Madrid Open in 2023 and 2024 – winning her first-round match in Madrid last season.

The Filipina also received a wildcard into the 2024 Wuhan Open, though was beaten in round one.

To date, Eala is the winner of five ITF singles titles and three doubles titles, having reached a career-high of world No 134 in January 2025.

Historic Miami Open run

The 19-year-old has now sealed an impressive rankings breakthrough – and made history – thanks to her career-changing run in Miami.

Eala once again received a wildcard into the main draw and picked up her first victory at the tournament in her opening match, defeating Katie Volynets 6-3, 7-6(3) to reach the second round.

She was then a significant underdog against former French Open champion and 25th seed Jelena Ostapenko – but stunned the Latvian 7-6(2), 7-5 to keep her campaign alive.

That was followed by an even more impressive win in the third round, the teen star stunning fifth seed – and recent Australian Open champion – Madison Keys 6-4, 6-2.

Eala is the first Filipino player, male or female, to beat a top-10 ranked player and is also the first to reach the fourth round of a WTA 1000 event.

Currently ranked 140th in the world, she is also guaranteed to hit a new career-high ranking once the tournament is over.

Eala is currently projected to jump 23 places to world No 117 and would be on the cusp of reaching the top 100 if she were to beat Badosa on Monday.