Alex Eala has yet to win a WTA Tour title and she has not even broken into the top 20 of the rankings, but there is a big reason why she may already be the most attractive option for sponsors looking to sign up the ultimate tennis influencer.
Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff may be the stand-out names on the WTA Tour, with the trio winning three of the four Grand Slam titles up for grabs in 2025, yet it was also a year when Eala made her big breakthrough.
The Filipina player made her big breakthrough almost a year ago, as she moved through the draw at the WTA 1000 Miami Open tournament, beating Swiatek en-route to the semi-finals.
That propelled her to star status and the popularity she gained in Miami has continued throughout the last 12 months.
Every tournament she plays in sees fans from her homeland and around the world flocking to her practice sessions and her matches, with her charm on and off the court highlighted in the numerous interviews she is asked to take part in.
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“It means the world to have this community behind me in such a prestigious tournament,” said Eala, as she was asked about the huge support she has received during her appearance in this week’s Indian Wells Open.
“For them to make the effort to stay up late and stay in the cold and cheer me on, so it really added to the feelings and the emotions after the match.”
When asked whether she is proud of how far she can come in the last year, she added: “I think my five-year-old self would be proud to be sure. But I want to say not too surprised. I think of course at that age your imagination can go wild.
“As long as I can remember, this has been my dream. I’ve really worked hard for this to happen, for myself to succeed. And obviously the people around me.
“You can imagine a five-year-old training in Manila having her grandfather as a coach. At a very young age I was training many hours compared to a lot of the other athletes surrounding me.
“I would go out on a limb to say that the sacrifice had already started back then. I think she would be proud.”
Eala’s popularity has not been overlooked by sponsors, with Nike. Babolat and Globe Telecom among her current backers, along with Bank of the Philippine Islands and Locally Juice.
There are also plenty of rumours filtering through the tennis grapevine that Eala is being lined-up for some big sponsorship deals in the coming months, with some A-list companies looking at Eala’s story and seeing comparisons to that of Emma Raducanu after her 2021 US Open win.
Both players have a big fan bases in the lucrative market in Japan, China and the Philippines, as well as global appeal that will be make Eala a target for some big companies looking for a new ambassador.
Sky Sports lead presenter Gigi Salmon has given her verdict on what Eala could achieve, as she spoke to at a Sky Sports Tennis event in London.
“I would say, in terms of her appeal, the crowds that follow her, she might already be the biggest star,” said Salmon.
“Coco Gauff said after one of her matches recently that she was really sorry for holding up a match with Alex and promise the fans that she would be out soon. Players are already saying, which they used to say with Roger Federer, I know you didn’t come to support me, but thank you very much.
“I remember Miami last year. I spoke to her a few times on that run through to the semi-final and the clouds were phenomenal. And this year in the Middle East, it’s been sensational.
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“In Dubai, it was a like a pop concert. It was like Taylor Swift was playing. People were screaming and maybe that can become a burden at some point, but I like the fact that at the moment, she just seems to be flourishing. She thanked them all and she’s a superstar. I just think she’s got everything.”
Eala was comprehensively beaten in her match against Gauff in Dubai and the question must be whether she can lift her game to the next level and challenge the true greats to the game.
At the age of 20, she has time on her side to develop her physicality and her presence on court, with Salmon excited to see where she can go in 2026.
“She hits a big ball,” she added. “She’s training for Rafael Nadal Academy, we know she’s done it for a few years, but I think she can go far.”
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