“Such a great time for women’s sports in our region”: Alexandra Eala celebrates the rise of female tennis in Southeast Asia

Alexandra Eala began the season with several great results that continue to catapult her into the upper ranks and among the most prominent names on the WTA Tour. The Filipino reached the semifinals at the ASB Classic, then the quarterfinals in the Philippines, the Abu Dhabi Open, and more recently the quarterfinals of the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships.

Her recent campaign in Dubai stood out as especially memorable, reminding fans of her Miami 2025 breakthrough – almost a year ago – when she advanced to the semifinals, defeating top players Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek, in one of the most remarkable runs by a teenager in recent WTA history.

“Well, I think that that has to be the highlight of my career so far. Like you said, that's what put me on the map, everything just clicked after that,” the Filipino tennis player said in her interview with Inside-In during last year’s Australian Open. “And yeah, I look back at that moment and I just think, wow, like it was insane. And it's crazy to believe that that actually happened.”

The jump into the top 100 changed everything. “It was, I mean, I think everything at that point after Miami was a new experience with that ranking being in the top 100 for the very first time. But my eyes were just wide open. I was just so eager to compete and to learn and to be at this level.”

“And in the end, being on tour and the WTA Tour is my dream. It's, you know, to be a professional tennis player, and I'm living out my dream. So although it came with its challenges and I had some tough times last year as well, I think I look back at 2025 with so much positivity.”

Eala’s rise brought unprecedented milestones for Philippine tennis. She is the first Filipino to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal, the first to win a Grand Slam match, the first to defeat multiple top-10 players and multiple Grand Slam champions in the same tournament.

“I would say more pride. I think it depends how you look at it. And I try to take it in with as much gratitude as I possibly can, because I know not a lot of players are able to have this platform. And, you know, it's a blessing to have this support behind me.”

Despite the milestones, pressure is ever-present, especially for one of the players who attracts the most public attention. “I won't say that it comes without any pressure at all. But what I do is I just try to focus on what I need to do on court, how I can work to the best of my ability, and I know that I'll perform to the best that I can.”

Eala has also felt the impact at home. “I haven't been home a lot. Unfortunately, I have. The times I've been home though, I felt so loved. Things have changed, to say the least. Yeah, I try to avoid going out alone now. But then again, it's blessings. Just gratitude for it,” she said. “I try to take it in with as much gratitude as I possibly can…it's a blessing to have this support behind me.”

Beyond personal achievements, Eala is aware of her role in growing tennis in Southeast Asia. “It's so nice to know that, you know, I'm doing what I can for the sport because tennis has given me so much. So all that I can do to give back to tennis, I'll do to the best that I can.”

She highlighted regional representation: “And it's just so nice to see, like, for example, in my region, Southeast Asia, there are, I think, four women in the main draw from Southeast Asia alone. Me, Janice (Tjen), Mai (Hontama), and Lanlana (Tararudee). So it's such a great time for women's sports in our region and tennis, women's tennis. So I'm so happy to be a part of that.”

Reflecting on the Southeast Asian Games – where she won the gold medal – she added: “I definitely felt that it was stronger this year than in past years. Maybe I'm biased because I competed in it and it was pretty tough,” recalled the 20-year-old player. “I think we've had, just these four players alone that are in the main draw, I think that speaks for itself in terms of the height of the level of that tournament. So yeah, I enjoyed a lot being with the team. It was so nice to reconnect with these girls and create those bonds.”