Alex Eala Has Earned Millions At 21—And She Shares How She Spends, Saves, And Plans For Her Future

Alex Eala recently reached her highest WTA ranking yet and gave Filipino fans another reason to celebrate as she went up to World No. 18. At 21 years old, Eala has already earned $1.7 million in prize money in 2026, while Forbes estimates she has brought in more than $5 million in off-court earnings over the past 12 months (before taxes or fees paid to agents and managers).

Yep, that's a whole lot of money to navigate! So, when asked how she approaches her earnings, Alex gave a refreshingly grounded response.

In her interview with Forbes, she said, "I've bought property. I treat my friends a lot to dinners and things like that. But I do save a lot. And I don't—I try not to think too much about money, because then I don't also want it to get in the way of my progression as a player."

Alex also shared her earnings also help cover the costs of running her team. "For one, tennis is super financially demanding. To bring your whole team…I think it also helps to make the experience of your team more comfortable. So let's say, business class flights, you know, especially when we're taking these super long hauls or nicer hotels, and things like that," she said.

Alex recalled how she was already playing when she was just six years old. But she also learned to see its business side as she grew older.

"On the business side, I probably started thinking about it [at] 15. My parents introduced me to it. I worked with my management company. Of course my parents, with my career, have helped me and they [have] such [a] vital role to the business side as well as everything in life."

Alex said that her parents' support and guidance were especially important as she learned and understood the business side of the sport along the way. "I have to attribute a lot of my, you know, how I handle my business to my parents and my family. I never really took any classes, but I think you can learn a lot from actually experiencing these things, you know, instead of on books and stuff like that."

And while brand sponsorships make up a huge part of her financial earnings, Alex said that she thinks carefully about partnerships and their long-term fit.

She explained, "For one, I have a good team around me and people who I trust to help me make these sorts of decisions and, second, I think my whole mindset is to kind of invest in my future and, like, when I choose to work with brands, what values do they have? What do they represent and is that going to look good in the long term? Do they back me? Do they trust my my tennis? Do they trust who I am, my process?"

Recently, Alex appeared at US Open Fan Week, initiated by the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Foundation, where she entertained fans with a friendly match against World No. 14 Iva Jovic. But to make the moment even more special, the two players' dads also joined them on the court for a fun doubles match.

Now, as Alex continues her tennis journey, we'll definitely be cheering her on every step of the way! 💗