Alexandra Eala “living out my dream” in rise to career-high ranking

The Alexandra Eala effect is in full force and shows no signs of slowing down.

Her recent campaign to the Dubai quarterfinals saw her rise to a career-best ranking of world No.31, making her the highest-ranked Filipina in tour history.

It’s hard to believe it was only last year when Eala first made headlines for her breakthrough run at the Miami Open. Entering the tournament as a wildcard, the left-hander upset Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and Iga Swiatek to advance to the semifinals, where she eventually lost to Jessica Pegula.

Nonetheless, this result catapulted the then 19-year-old into the top 100 for the first time and turned her into quite the celebrity on tour. This was evident at Australian Open 2026, when crowds arrived hours early to secure a spot at Court 6 for her first-round clash against Alycia Parks.

On this week’s episode of The Sit-Down podcast, Eala explained how her history-making conquest in Miami unlocked a new chapter in her career.

“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 be at this level,” she shared.

“In the end, being on the WTA Tour is my dream. It’s to be a professional tennis player and I’m living out my dream.

“I think that [Miami run] has to be the highlight of my career so far. That’s what put me on the map. Everything clicked after that. I look back at that moment, and I just think, wow, it was insane.

“It’s crazy to believe that actually happened.”

PODCAST: Listen to Alexandra Eala on The Sit-Down

Eala’s latest feat in Dubai represents another fruitful result to her 2026 season. The Filipina kickstarted the year in Auckland – where she made the semifinals in both singles and doubles – then later advanced to the quarterfinals at the inaugural WTA 125 event on home soil in Manila.

Having earned an ITF junior ranking as high as world No.2 and winning the 2022 US Open girls’ singles title, Eala’s ascent is another example of how junior success can bode well for the pro tour.

“I think juniors are a great stepping stone for professional tennis,” she acknowledged. “Of course, you have to get past that hurdle of transitioning, especially when you do well in juniors and I think I handled that pretty good.

“I think juniors brought me a lot of great memories and a lot of good experiences and just being able to travel around the world as a team. Not a lot of teenagers can say that.”

Now 20, Eala’s triumphs on court have invited new fans to the sport as she joins a small group of players representing Southeast Asia – a region with comparatively little tennis history.

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But this is already changing, with the Australian Open 2026 women’s singles main draw featuring Eala, Indonesia’s Janice Tjen, and Thailand’s Mananchaya Sawangkaew and Lanlana Tararudee.

“It’s so nice to know that I’m doing what I can for the sport because tennis has given me so much,” Eala beamed.

“It’s a great time for women’s tennis in our region, so I’m happy to be a part of that.”

Listen to the full episode of The Sit-Down, a weekly podcast released each Monday featuring an in-depth interview with a notable tennis identity. Subscribe in your favourite podcast player so you never miss an episode.

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