All The Historic Tennis Records Alex Eala Has Made (So Far)

At just 20 years old, Alex is already achieving big milestones, including reaching her first WTA final at the Eastbourne Open—the first ever Filipina to do so! During one of the matches, she defeated France's Varvara Gracheva, who has a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 39. Although she lost to Australia's Maya Joint in the final, the Filipina tennis player shared that this experience is meant to make her stronger. 

"This has to be one of the toughest losses of my early career, but I firmly believe that it’s these moments that make you stronger and shape your character," Alex expressed.

Despite the setbacks Alex faced earlier in her tennis career, she proved that they don't define her as she made a strong comeback at the Guadalajara 125 Open. There, she clinched her first WTA 125 title, becoming the first Filipina to achieve this feat.

Alex faced Panna Udvardy of Hungary for the second time in the Guadalajara 125 Open, after losing to her at the Oeiras WTA 125 in April. This time, however, Alex turned the tables, winning the match 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.

Alex has been taking down big names in tennis lately, but this victory shows that even greater things lie ahead for her. At the start of 2026, Alex, partnering with American Iva Jovic, faced off against veterans Venus Williams and Elina Svitolina at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.

The duo secured a hard-fought 7-6 (7), 6-1 win. It wasn't easy as they had to save eight set points before finally edging out their experienced opponents 9-7 in the tiebreaker.

Just as Filipinos were celebrating Alex's latest feats, she made history again by becoming the first Filipina to crack the world No. 49 spot in the WTA rankings—the highest of her career so far! This climb to 49 is a testament to her hard work, jumping from No. 158 by the end of 2024 to No. 49 at the start of 2026.

Her rise followed her breakthrough victory over veterans Venus and Elina at the ASB Classic.

After previously making headlines for reaching World No. 49, Alex has once again set a new milestone, climbing to No. 40 in the WTA rankings in just a matter of weeks—just in time for her debut at the Abu Dhabi Open.

Alex opened her campaign with a confident straight-sets win over Zeynep Sönmez, 6–4, 6–3. But it was her next match that truly tested her. Facing Aliaksandra Sasnovich, a former World No. 29, Alex battled through a grueling three-hour match. She dropped the first set, 2–6, but came back strong in the second, 6–4, forcing a decider. In the third set, Alex held her nerve and edged out the tiebreak, 7–6(5), securing her spot in the quarterfinals.

During International Women's Month, Alex made her debut at the 2026 BNP Paribas Open and proved that even in a highly competitive sport, she remains a true girl's girl.

One of her standout moments came when she advanced to the Round of 16 after her opponent, Coco Gauff, the world No. 4, was forced to retire due to a shoulder injury sustained during their match.

Despite the unexpected win, Alex showed grace and sportsmanship. During the medical timeout, she expressed concern for Coco, sharing that while the injury was unfortunate, it was a privilege playing against someone who is "an amazing role model" in the sport.

Alex's run at Indian Wells eventually came to an end after a straight-sets loss to Linda Nosková of the Czech Republic, 6–2, 6–0. Still, her performance and character left a lasting impression as she leaves for the Miami Open.

Alex continues to hit new milestones and has reached a new career-high ranking of World No. 29 in the WTA, climbing up from her previous No. 32 spot. With a total of 1,525 points, she now holds the highest ranking ever achieved by a Filipina in women's tennis.

Now, the Filipina tennis player is set to return to the Miami Open for the second leg of the Sunshine Double, ready to take on even bigger challenges. Go, Alex! 👏🏼