Alex Eala and “legacy” don’t quite mix yet, but the 20-year-old Filipina ace has already left an indelible mark on Philippine tennis thanks to her meteoric rise on the WTA Tour.
The list of accomplishments for Alex Eala is already quite long for a 20-year-old rising star.
Aside from her exploits as a junior player, Eala has now become the Philippines' highest-ranked WTA player and broke a decades-long drought by winning a singles gold medal from SEA Games 2025.
Her surge is undeniable, and so is the fact that Eala’s whole career and life are still ahead of her.
As she now maneuvers new challenges in her career, the current WTA world no. 49 knows that she’s already impacted Philippine tennis in more than she’s ever imagined.
While her sway is unbelievable, sometimes even to herself, Eala is slowly understanding the gravity of her success and what her legacy might mean by the time she's done.
[RELATED: Alex Eala sees historic Philippine Women’s Open as avenue to educate Pinoys on tennis]
“Mabigat yan. It’s hard to think about legacy and what legacy I want to make because I’m only 20. So I have a lot of years ahead of me. I have so much to learn by then,” Eala said.
Two things can be true.
Eala still has so much more to do and accomplish to her career, making legacy talks seem premature at the moment.
But her current influence on the sport is also hard to miss, as evidenced by the historic WTA 125 Philippine Women's Open on the heels of her sensational 2025 rise.
As such, Eala approaches every day with a grateful mindset.
“I just do the best I can and hope that I can inspire people in a positive way," she said.
"I do my best to carry myself with grace and with humility. But then again, I think thinking about legacy is something I haven't really touched on yet,” Eala added.
[RELATED: Alex Eala says future of Philippine tennis is a collective effort — 'I'm just one person']
As one of the hottest names currently on the WTA Tour, more eyeballs are fixated on what Eala will do on and off the tennis court.
But as wins and losses come, the Filipina ace just hopes that she is able to put her best foot forward in every match she plays.
And with that, the hopeful outcome will be bigger and better things for the rest of the tennis community in the country.
“I like to think that what I do and the success that I've had has been a contributor to Philippine tennis and the history of the sport here in our country," she said.
"And of course, you know, the future of the sport."
—
Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.
Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.