Alex Eala has rapidly become one of the most popular tennis players, across both the women’s and men’s games.
But it has now taken on a whole new level after her fine run at Wimbledon, where she reached the fourth round, helping her rise to a career-high rank of 28.
Alexandra Eala will finish 2026 ranked — in the world
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Knocking out defending champion Iga Swiatek along the way, Eala is now the first player from the Philippines to reach that stage of a Grand Slam.
It is amazing for the nation, but also for the WTA Tour, which must be desperate for her success to continue.
The WTA Tour should want Alex Eala’s success to continue
Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Eala’s stunning popularity is that she is yet to claim a WTA Tour title.
One can only imagine how her loyal and passionate fans would react to such success should it ever come about, which does look increasingly likely.
Despite the lack of a title, Eala continues to draw more and more eyes to the sport, which is a massive win for the WTA Tour.
Viewing figures increase when she plays, with ticket sales clearly on the rise as more fans look to join in with her efforts on the court.
More and more tournaments are also utilizing her popularity as best they can, often featuring her name or face in their promotion on various social media channels.
A fantastic example has just emerged from Wimbledon, with its full match replay of Eala versus Swiatek having attracted 130,000 views within just 24 hours of publication.
And while Eala is proudly waving the Philippine flag on and off the court, there have already been suggestions that her stardom transcends her nation.
Andy Roddick and Greg Rusedski Alex Eala
Former player Greg Rusedski thinks Eala is the WTA’s biggest star, saying of the player: “First Filipino man or woman ever to be in the fourth round of a major.
“She’s like the [new] Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines. Everybody turns on the TV to watch her. The whole nation comes to a standstill.
“Wherever she is in the world, everybody wants to see her. She’s the biggest star on the WTA Tour.”
Another former player, Andy Roddick, is also a massive fan of the 21-year-old Filipina and her superstar status.
He said recently on his Served podcast: “Eala-mania is fun! I’m sorry, when you have watch parties in arenas around your country for a fourth-round match, I’m in.
“Imagine wherever you live, whatever the biggest venue is closest to you, imagine having watch parties for a fourth-round match at Wimbledon, and having no room.
“I am here for Eala-mania, it’s great for tennis.”
He clearly isn’t the only one who is “here for Eala-mania”, which is only going to be welcomed with open arms by the WTA Tour.
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In another exciting period for the youngster, Eala now turns to the Washington Open, before back-to-back WTA 1000 events in Canada and Cincinnati.
They will serve as preparation for the US Open, which will already be working hard behind the scenes to make the most of the current Eala wave that is crashing through the WTA Tour.
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