Alexandra Eala has been turning heads across the tennis world, with her emergence on the WTA Tour drawing attention from several well-known names.
Kim Clijsters was among the first to praise Eala following her performances earlier this season at both the Abu Dhabi Open and Dubai Tennis Championships.
Currently ranked 31st in the world, Eala has established herself as a presence on tour, and with Indian Wells coming up, there is potential for her to climb even higher.
Just before making her debut appearance at the iconic Masters event, the 20-year-old received a notable endorsement from Paul Annacone.
Paul Annacone impressed by Alexandra Eala’s progress
Annacone recently highlighted the qualities in Eala’s game that have caught his eye on the WTA Tour.
“She’s got a smile that lights up a room. I remember last year when she beat Iga Swiatek and she did it with a lot of grace and humility,” he began by saying.
“For me, it was terrific to see her take that match and watch her play after that and continue to progress. I like her game, obviously she wants to get better than where she is now at 32 in the world, but she’s got a lot of good hand eye coordination and the ability to take the ball early and redirect.”
Eala’s strong fanbase is also helping boost her profile across the sport, as Annacone noted: “But the fan stuff is always fun to me because whenever you see players from smaller countries, the fans are so passionate when they get to the top.”
In 2026, Eala has a 10-6 record on the WTA Tour, featuring notable victories over players like Donna Vekic and Jasmine Paolini.
Alexandra Eala’s most notable wins to date
Eala has picked up several high-profile wins since breaking onto the WTA Tour, many of which came during her standout run at the Miami Open.
She beat Madison Keys, Jelena Ostapenko and Swiatek to reach the semi-finals, where she eventually lost to Jessica Pegula.
Just as impressive was her win over top 20 player Clara Tauson at the 2025 US Open. That victory marked Eala’s first ever Grand Slam title.
But the Filipina has been pulling off surprise results well before her recent rise in popularity.
The 20-year-old claimed her first top 50 win against Lesia Tsurenko in the opening round of the 2024 Madrid Open.
She has often exceeded expectations throughout her career, and that trend has carried over into her strong start to 2026.
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