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Alexandra Eala

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In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Maniego and the surname or paternal family name is Eala.

Alexandra Maniego Eala (born May 23, 2005) is a Filipina professional tennis player.[1] She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 143, by the WTA, achieved on 22 July 2024. She is the highest-ranked Filipino female singles player in WTA Tour history, surpassing Maricris Gentz, who peaked at No. 284 on 18 October 1999.[2]

Alexandra Eala
Eala in May 2022
Full nameAlexandra Maniego Eala
ITF nameAlexandra Eala
Country (sports) Philippines
Born (2005-05-23) 23 May 2005 (age 19)
Quezon City, Philippines
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned proMarch 2020
PlaysLeft (two-handed backhand)
Prize moneyUS$ 450,995
Singles
Career record149–89
Career titles5 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 143 (22 July 2024)
Current rankingNo. 159 (4 November 2024)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQ1 (2023, 2024)
French OpenQ3 (2024)
WimbledonQ3 (2024)
US OpenQ3 (2024)
Doubles
Career record37–30
Career titles3 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 192 (12 August 2024)
Current rankingNo. 237 (4 November 2024)
Medal record
Women's tennis
Representing the  Philippines
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Hangzhou Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Hangzhou Mixed doubles
Southeast Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Team
Last updated on: 4 November 2024.

Eala was the No. 2 ranked ITF junior on 6 October 2020.[3] Eala won her first junior singles title at the 2022 US Open, making her the first Filipino player to win a junior Grand Slam singles title.

Personal life

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Her mother Rosemarie "Rizza" Maniego-Eala is a 1985 Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist in the 100-meter backstroke and currently serves as the chief financial officer of Globe Telecom. She is the niece of Philippine Sports Commission chairperson and former Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Noli Eala. Her brother, Michael (Miko), plays tennis for the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions.[4] She has been a student of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor (Mallorca, Spain), since she was 12 years old.[5]

Career

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Juniors

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Grand Slam performance - singles:

  • Australian Open: 3R (2020)
  • French Open: SF (2020)
  • Wimbledon: 2R (2021)
  • US Open: W (2022)

Grand Slam performance - doubles:

  • Australian Open: W (2020)
  • French Open: W (2021)
  • Wimbledon: 2R (2021)
  • US Open: SF (2021)

2018

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At the age of 12, Eala won the 2018 Les Petit As 14-and-under tournament, beating Linda Nosková in the finals.[6] She made her junior Grand Slam debut at the 2019 US Open.[7] She was named the 2019 Milo Junior Athlete of the Year.[8]

2020: First junior doubles title

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Eala won the 2020 Australian girls' doubles event, partnering Priska Madelyn Nugroho. They defeated Živa Falkner and Matilda Mutavdzic in the final.[9]

Eala peaked in the junior rankings at No. 2, after reaching the semifinals at the 2020 French Open girls' singles competition.[10]

2021: Second junior doubles title

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Eala paid tribute to her roots on Independence Day following another major triumph, this time on the clay court in Paris. Eala and her Russian partner Oksana Selekhmeteva captured the French Open girls' doubles title Saturday. They were the top seeds in the tournament, won after knocking out Maria Bondarenko of Russia and Amarissa Kiara Tóth of Hungary, 6–0, 7–5, in the final.[11]

2022: First junior Grand Slam singles title

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On 11 September, Eala became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles championship and the only Filipino with multiple junior Grand Slam titles. She defeated the No. 2 seed, Lucie Havlíčková of the Czech Republic, in the girls' singles final of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.[12][13]

Professional

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2020-2021: First ITF title & WTA debut

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On 4 March 2020, Eala made her debut on the ITF Women's Circuit, as she played in the $15k event at Monastir, Tunisia, where she won her first professional match.[14]

In January 2021, she leaped to the top 1,000 in the WTA rankings, after winning the title at the first leg of the $15k Manacor event in Spain.[15]

She received a wildcard into the qualifying draw of the Miami Open where she lost to Viktória Kužmová in three sets in the first round.[16]

Eala made her first ITF doubles final at the $25k Platja d'Aro in Spain, playing with Oksana Selekhmeteva. They lost to Lithuania's Justina Mikulskytė and Romanian Oana Georgeta Simion, 3–6, 5–7.[17]

In August 2021, she made her WTA Tour main-draw debut at the 2021 Winners Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, after receiving a wildcard. In her first match, she defeated Paula Ormaechea in straight sets.[18] She lost in the second round to Mayar Sherif, also in straight sets.[19]

2022-2024: WTA 1000, major and top 200 debuts and first win

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She received a wildcard making her WTA 1000 debut at the 2022 Miami Open, losing to Madison Brengle in the first round.[20]

In 2023, Eala made her debut in the qualifying draw of the Australian Open but she lost her first match to Misaki Doi in three sets.[21] She qualified for the 2023 Thailand Open but lost in the first round to sixth seed Tatjana Maria.[22]

She received wildcards for the main draw at the 2023 Miami Open[23] and at the 2023 Madrid Open. She entered the top 200 on 28 August 2023 and reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 191 on 18 September 2023.[24] At the Asian Games, she won two bronze medals, one in the women's singles and the second in the mixed doubles with Francis Alcantara.[25]

She received wildcards for the qualifying draw at the 2024 Miami Open, and for the main draw at the Madrid Open.[26] During the 2024 Miami Open, she stunned former world No. 5, Sara Errani, during the first round of qualifying winning in straight sets.[27] However, in the second round of qualifying, she suffered cramps and lost to Emiliana Arango.[28] At the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open, she recorded her first WTA 1000 win over Lesia Tsurenko.[29] She then lost in three sets against 27th seed Sorana Cirstea.[30]

Eala entered the qualifying rounds of the 2024 French Open where she beat Ma Yexin of China and Taylah Preston of Australia to reach the final round, where she lost in another three-set match to Julia Riera of Argentina.[31] For the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, she entered the qualifying rounds and reached the final qualifying match where she lost to eventual quarterfinalist Lulu Sun.[32]

After Wimbledon, Eala entered the Open Araba en Femenino, a W100 tournament, where she triumphed in both singles and doubles. She won the title in singles without dropping a set. In doubles, she and her partner Estelle Cascino, won their second doubles crown.[33] She reached a new career-high ranking in both singles and doubles, at 143 and 208 respectively.[33]

Eala entered the 2024 US Open qualifying rounds where she again reached the final qualifying round, losing to 20th seed Elena-Gabriela Ruse. She qualified for the main draw of the WTA 500 2024 Guadalajara Open Akron, losing in the first round to sixth seed Marie Bouzková.[34]

Sponsorships

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  • Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)
  • Globe Telecom Inc.
  • Babolat
  • Nike

Performance timeline

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Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# P# DNQ A Z# PO G S B NMS NTI P NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Only main-draw results in WTA Tour, Grand Slam tournaments, Fed Cup/Billie Jean King Cup and Olympic Games are included in win–loss records.

Singles

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Current through the 2024 Wimbledon Championships.

Tournament 2021 2022 2023 2024 SR W–L
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A A Q1 Q1 0 / 0 0–0
French Open A A A Q3 0 / 0 0–0
Wimbledon A A A Q3 0 / 0 0–0
US Open A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Win–loss 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0 / 0 0–0
WTA 1000
Dubai / Qatar Open[a] A A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Indian Wells Open A A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Miami Open Q1 1R 1R Q2 0 / 2 0–2
Madrid Open A Q1 1R 2R 1 / 2 1–2
Italian Open A A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Canadian Open A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Cincinnati Open A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Wuhan Open NH A 0 / 0 0–0
China Open NH A 0 / 0 0–0
Career statistics
Tournaments 1 1 3 1 Career total: 5
Overall win–loss 1–1 0–1 0–3 0 / 5 1–5
Year-end ranking 529 219 205 $64,590

ITF Circuit finals

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Singles: 8 (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)

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Legend
W100 tournaments (1-0)
W60 tournaments (0–1)
W40 tournaments (0–1)
W25 tournaments (3–1)
W15 tournaments (1–0)
Finals by surface
Hard (5–3)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Jan 2021 ITF Manacor, Spain W15 Hard   Yvonne Cavallé Reimers 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
Win 2–0 Apr 2022 ITF Chiang Rai, Thailand W25 Hard   Luksika Kumkhum 6–4, 6–2
Loss 2–1 Jun 2022 ITF Madrid Open, Spain W60 Hard   Marina Bassols Ribera 4–6, 5–7
Win 3–1 Jun 2023 ITF Yecla, Spain W25 Hard   Valentina Ryser 6–3, 7–5
Win 4–1 Aug 2023 ITF Roehampton, United Kingdom W25 Hard   Arina Rodionova 6–2, 6–3
Loss 4–2 Aug 2023 ITF Aldershot, United Kingdom W25 Hard   Destanee Aiava 6–3, 4–6, 1–6
Loss 4–3 Nov 2023 ITF Pétange, Luxembourg W40 Hard (i)   Océane Dodin 1–6, 5–7
Win 5–3 July 2024 Open Araba en Femenino, Spain W100 Hard   Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva 6–4, 6–4

Doubles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner–up)

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Legend
W100 tournaments (1–0)
W60/75 tournaments (1–0)
W50 tournaments (1–0)
W25 tournaments (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (3–0)
Clay (0–1)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 May 2021 ITF Platja d'Aro, Spain W25 Clay   Oksana Selekhmeteva   Oana Georgeta Simion
  Justina Mikulskytė 		3–6, 5–7
Win 1–1 Jan 2024 ITF Pune Open, India W50 Hard   Darja Semeņistaja   Naiktha Bains
  Fanny Stollár 		7–6(8), 6–3
Win 2–1 Mar 2024 Open de Seine-et-Marne, France W75 Hard (i)   Estelle Cascino   Maia Lumsden
  Jessika Ponchet 		7–5, 7–6(4)
Win 3–1 Jul 2024 Open Araba en Femenino, Spain W100 Hard   Estelle Cascino   Lia Karatancheva
  Diāna Marcinkēviča 		6–3, 2–6, [10–4]

Junior Grand Slam finals

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Singles: 1 (title)

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Result Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 2022 US Open Hard   Lucie Havlíčková 6–2, 6–4

Doubles: 2 (2 titles)

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Result Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 2020 Australian Open Hard   Priska Madelyn Nugroho   Živa Falkner
  Matilda Mutavdzic		 6–1, 6–2
Win 2021 French Open Clay   Oksana Selekhmeteva   Maria Bondarenko
  Amarissa Kiara Tóth		 6–0, 7–5

ITF Junior finals

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Legend
Grade A
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5

Singles (4–5)

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Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Jul 2018 ITF Jakarta, Indonesia G4 Hard   Priska Madelyn Nugroho 2–6, 6–4, 1–6
Win 1–1 Oct 2018 ITF Alicante, Spain G5 Clay   Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro 6–2, 6–3
Win 2–1 Nov 2018 ITF Makati City, Philippines G4 Clay   Dasha Plekhanova 6–4, 6–2
Loss 2–2 Nov 2018 ITF Manila, Philippines G4 Clay   Janice Tjen 3–6, 6–2, 5–7
Loss 2–3 Jan 2019 ITF New Delhi, India G2 Hard   Federica Sacco 5–7, 3–6
Loss 2–4 Jan 2019 ITF Kolkata, India G2 Clay   Mai Napatt Nirundorn 6–2, 3–6, 2–6
Win 3–4 Sep 2019 ITF Cape Town, South Africa GA Hard   Linda Fruhvirtová 6–3, 6–3
Loss 3–5 Oct 2019 ITF Osaka, Japan GA Hard   Diane Parry 2–6, 4–6
Win 4–5 Jul 2021 ITF Milan, Italy GA Clay   Nikola Bartůňková 6–3, 6–3

Doubles (3–2)

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Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1–0 Oct 2018 ITF Alicante, Spain G5 Clay   Joelle Lilly Sophie Steur   Maria Dzemeshkevich
  Lily Hutchings 		6–2, 6–2
Loss 1–1 Jun 2019 ITF Offenbach, Germany G1 Clay   Annerly Poulos   Selena Janicijevic
  Carole Monnet 		4–6, 2–6
Loss 1–2 Sep 2019 ITF Cape Town, South Africa G2 Hard   Elvina Kalieva   Weronika Baszak
  Matilda Mutavdzic 		3–6, 6–4, [3–10]
Win 2–2 Dec 2019 ITF Plantation, United States GA Clay   Evialina Laskevich   Jada Bui
  Melodie Collard 		6–3, 6–7(3), [10–5]
Win 3–2 Jul 2021 ITF Milan, Italy GA Clay   Madison Sieg   Lucija Ciric Bagaric
  Sofia Costoulas 		6–4, 4–6, [13–11]

Notes

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  1. ^ The first Premier 5 event of the year has switched back and forth between the Dubai Tennis Championships and the Qatar Ladies Open since 2009. Dubai was classified as a Premier 5 event from 2009 to 2011 before being succeeded by Doha for the 2012–2014 period. In 2015, Dubai regained its Premier 5 status while Doha was demoted to Premier status. The Premier 5 tournaments were reclassified as WTA 1000 tournaments in 2021.

References

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  1. ^ "Alexandra Eala | Player Stats & More – WTA Official".
  2. ^ Mina, Rosy (September 11, 2022). "Alex Eala reigns at US Open for first major junior girls' singles title". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  3. ^ "Alexandra Eala". October 12, 2020 – via www.itftennis.com.
  4. ^ "Michael Francis Eala Overview".
  5. ^ "Alex Eala". April 11, 2022.
  6. ^ "Lilov & Eala win at Les Petits As". tenniseurope. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  7. ^ "Filipina Alex Eala makes US Open juniors debut vs tough Aussie". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 1, 2019.
  8. ^ "Top Juniors Honored". Business Mirror. February 22, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  9. ^ "Alex Eala wins first juniors Grand Slam title in 2020 Australian Open". Rappler. January 31, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  10. ^ "Alex Eala clinches juniors world No. 2 after French Open romp". Rappler. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  11. ^ "Alex Eala wins Grand Slam on Independence Day: 'I hope I made my contribution to the country'". Inquirer.net. June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  12. ^ "Alex Eala reigns at US Open for first major junior girls' singles title". abs-cbn.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  13. ^ "Alexandra Eala becomes first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam singles title at the 2022 US Open". US Open. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  14. ^ "Alex Eala to make pro debut in Tunisian tourney". Philstar. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  15. ^ "Alex Eala enters top 1000 in Women's Tennis Association World Ranking". msm news. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  16. ^ Reyes, Kate (March 23, 2021). "Alex Eala falls short to Slovakian foe in Miami Open qualifiers". Spin.ph. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  17. ^ "Alex Eala, partner finish second place at W25 Spain". sports.inquirer.net. May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  18. ^ "Philippines' teen champion Alex Eala wins WTA main draw debut match at Winners Open". goodnewspilipinas.com. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  19. ^ "Alex Eala absorbs tough loss to close first WTA tourney". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  20. ^ "Early exit for Alex Eala in Miami Open debut". Tiebreaker Times. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  21. ^ "Eala bows to Doi in first round of Australian Open qualifiers". BusinessWorld Online. January 9, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  22. ^ "Alex Eala crashes out of Thailand Open". Manilla Bulletin. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  23. ^ "Erika Andreeva, Brenda Fruhvirtova awarded Miami Open wild cards". Women's Tennis Association. March 14, 2023.
  24. ^ "Alex Eala soars to new high in WTA rankings ahead of Asian Games". Sports Inquirer. September 20, 2023.
  25. ^ Ramos, Gerry (September 29, 2023). "Eala, Alcantara win bronze on another slow day for Team Philippines". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  26. ^ "Madrid 2024: Dates, draws, prize money and everything you need to know". Women's Tennis Association. April 18, 2024.
  27. ^ "Alex Eala stuns former world No. 5 in Miami Open qualifiers". rapper.com. March 18, 2024.
  28. ^ "Eala succumbs to cramps, falls in Miami Open qualifying draw". The Philippine STAR.
  29. ^ "Wild card Eala defeats Tsurenko in Madrid, notches first Top 50 win". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  30. ^ "Madrid Open: Cirstea beats wildcard Eala to move into third round". Tennis Majors. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  31. ^ Villanueva, Ralph Edwin (May 23, 2024). "Eala loses steam vs Argentine foe, falls short of French Open main draw". Philstar.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  32. ^ Villanueva, Ralph Edwin. "Eala loses to New Zealander to miss out on Wimbledon". Philstar.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  33. ^ a b Board, Pdm Editorial (August 24, 2024). "[Editorial] Alex Eala's journey to the tennis world began with a single step toward a pinnacle of achievements". Philippine Daily Mirror. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  34. ^ "Bouzkova bests wild card Eala in Guadalajara night session". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
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Sporting positions
Preceded by Orange Bowl Girls' Doubles Champion
2019
With:   Evialina Laskevich 		Succeeded by
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