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Alexandra Eala

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In this Philippine name, the middle name or maternal family name is Maniego and the surname or paternal family name is Eala.

Alexandra Eala
Eala at the 2024 US Open
Full nameAlexandra Maniego Eala
ITF nameAlexandra Eala
Country (sports) Philippines
Born (2005-05-23) May 23, 2005 (age 19)
Quezon City, Philippines
Height1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Turned proMarch 4, 2020
PlaysLeft (two-handed backhand)
Prize moneyUS$504,935
Singles
Career record164–98
Career titles5 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 134 (January 27, 2025)
Current rankingNo. 140 (March 17, 2025)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian OpenQ1 (2023, 2024, 2025)
French OpenQ3 (2024)
WimbledonQ3 (2024)
US OpenQ3 (2024)
Doubles
Career record39–33
Career titles3 ITF
Highest rankingNo. 192 (August 12, 2024)
Current rankingNo. 339 (March 17, 2025)
Medal record
Women's tennis
Representing the  Philippines
Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Hangzhou Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2022 Hangzhou Mixed doubles
Southeast Asian Games
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Singles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Mixed doubles
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Vietnam Team
Last updated on: March 17, 2025.

Alexandra Maniego Eala (born May 23, 2005) is a Filipino professional tennis player.[1] She has a career-high singles ranking of world No. 134, by the WTA, achieved on 27 January 2025. She is the highest-ranked Filipino female singles player in WTA Tour history,[2] surpassing Maricris Gentz, who peaked at No. 284 on 18 October 1999. Eala was the No. 2 ranked ITF junior on 6 October 2020.[3] Eala won her first junior singles title at the 2022 US Open, making her the first Filipino player to win a junior Grand Slam singles title.[4]

Personal life

[edit]

Her mother Rosemarie "Rizza" Maniego-Eala is a 1985 Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist in the 100-meter backstroke and retired chief financial officer of Globe Telecom. She is the niece of Philippine Sports Commission chairperson and former Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Noli Eala. Her brother, Michael (Miko), played tennis for the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions from 2020 to 2024.[5] She has been a student of the Rafa Nadal Academy in Manacor (Mallorca, Spain), since she was 12 years old.[6]

Career

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2018: Juniors beginning

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At the age of 12, Eala won the 2018 Les Petit As 14-and-under tournament, beating Linda Nosková in the finals.[7] She made her junior Grand Slam debut at the 2019 US Open.[8] She was named the 2019 Milo Junior Athlete of the Year.[9]

2020–2022: First junior Grand Slam doubles and singles titles

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Eala won the 2020 Australian girls' doubles event, partnering Priska Madelyn Nugroho. They defeated Živa Falkner and Matilda Mutavdzic in the final.[10][11][12]

Eala peaked in the junior rankings at No. 2, after reaching the semifinals at the 2020 French Open girls' singles competition.[13]

Following a major triumph at the French Open in 2021, Eala paid tribute to her roots on Independence Day. Partnering Russia’s Oksana Selekhmeteva, she claimed the girls' doubles title as the tournament’s top seed. The pair defeated Maria Bondarenko of Russia and Amarissa Kiara Tóth of Hungary, 6–0, 7–5, in the final.[14][15][16]

In September 2022, Eala became the first Filipino to win a junior Grand Slam singles championship and the only Filipino with multiple junior Grand Slam titles. She defeated the No. 2 seed, Lucie Havlíčková of the Czech Republic, in the girls' singles final of the US Open at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York.[17][18]

Juniors Grand Slam performance

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Grand Slam performance - singles:

  • Australian Open: 3R (2020)
  • French Open: SF (2020)
  • Wimbledon: 2R (2021)
  • US Open: W (2022)

Grand Slam performance - doubles:

  • Australian Open: W (2020)
  • French Open: W (2021)
  • Wimbledon: 2R (2021)
  • US Open: SF (2021)

Pro beginnings, First ITF title, WTA Tour and 1000 debuts

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Eala with her bronze medals from the 2021 SEA Games

In March 2020, Eala made her debut on the ITF Women's Circuit, as she played in the $15k event at Monastir, Tunisia, where she won her first professional match.[19]

In January 2021, she leaped to the top 1,000 in the WTA rankings, after winning the title at the first leg of the $15k Manacor event in Spain.[20]

She received a wildcard into the qualifying draw of the Miami Open where she lost to Viktória Kužmová in three sets in the first round.[21]

Eala made her first ITF doubles final at the $25k Platja d'Aro in Spain, playing with Oksana Selekhmeteva. They lost to Lithuania's Justina Mikulskytė and Romanian Oana Georgeta Simion, 3–6, 5–7.[22]

In August 2021, she made her WTA Tour main-draw debut at the 2021 Winners Open in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, after receiving a wildcard. In her first match, she defeated Paula Ormaechea in straight sets.[23] She lost in the second round to Mayar Sherif, also in straight sets.[24]

She received a wildcard making her WTA 1000 debut at the 2022 Miami Open, losing to Madison Brengle in the first round.[25]

Eala represented the Philippines at the 2021 SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, which were postponed to May 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She earned a bronze medal in each of the three events she participated in: women's team (with Marian Capadocia, Shaira Hope Rivera, and Jenaila Rose Prulla), mixed doubles (with Treat Huey), and women's singles.[26]

2023–2025: Major debut, historic top-10 win & Masters quarterfinal

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In 2023, Eala made her debut in the qualifying draw of the Australian Open but she lost her first match to Misaki Doi in three sets.[27] She qualified for the 2023 Thailand Open but lost in the first round to sixth seed Tatjana Maria.[28]

She received wildcards for the main draw at the 2023 Miami Open[29] and at the 2023 Madrid Open. She entered the top 200 in August 2023, and reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 191 on 18 September 2023.[30] At the Asian Games, she won two bronze medals, one in the women's singles and the second in the mixed doubles with Francis Alcantara.[31]

She received wildcards for the qualifying draw at the 2024 Miami Open, and for the main draw at the Madrid Open.[32] During the 2024 Miami Open, she stunned former world No. 5, Sara Errani, during the first round of qualifying winning in straight sets.[33] However, in the second round of qualifying, she suffered cramps and lost to Emiliana Arango.[34] At the 2024 Mutua Madrid Open, she recorded her first WTA 1000 win over Lesia Tsurenko.[35] She then lost in three sets against 27th seed Sorana Cirstea.[36]

Eala entered the qualifying rounds of the 2024 French Open where she beat Ma Yexin of China and Taylah Preston of Australia to reach the final round, where she lost in another three-set match to Julia Riera of Argentina.[37] For the 2024 Wimbledon Championships, she entered the qualifying rounds and reached the final qualifying match where she lost to eventual quarterfinalist Lulu Sun.[38]

After Wimbledon, Eala entered the 2024 Open Araba en Femenino, a W100 tournament, where she triumphed in both singles and doubles. She won the title in singles without dropping a set. In doubles, she and her partner Estelle Cascino, won their second doubles crown. She reached a new career-high ranking in both singles and doubles, at world No. 143 and No. 208 respectively on 22 July 2024.[39]

Eala entered the 2024 US Open qualifying competition, where she again reached the final qualifying round, losing to 20th seed Elena-Gabriela Ruse. She qualified for the main draw of the WTA 500 2024 Guadalajara Open Akron, losing in the first round to sixth seed Marie Bouzková.[40]

Given a main draw wildcard entry at the 2025 Miami Open, Eala defeated Katie Volynets[41] and 25th seed Jeļena Ostapenko[42] to reach the third round for the first time at the WTA 1000-level.[2] She went one step further and defeated world No. 5 Madison Keys to reach a WTA 1000 fourth round for the first time, her first top-10 and also top-5 win. Eala became the first Filipino player in the Open Era to beat a top-10 player, since the WTA Tour rankings for women’s tennis were first published in 1975. Eala was also the first player ranked outside the Top 100 to reach the round of 16 in a 1000 event in the season.[43][44][45][46] Eala reached her first WTA 1000 quarterfinal after receiving a walkover from Paula Badosa. As a result she reached a new career-high ranking of world No. 102 on 31 March 2025.[47][48]

Performance timeline

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Key
W  F  SF QF #R RR Q# P# DNQ A Z# PO G S B NMS NTI P NH
(W) winner; (F) finalist; (SF) semifinalist; (QF) quarterfinalist; (#R) rounds 4, 3, 2, 1; (RR) round-robin stage; (Q#) qualification round; (P#) preliminary round; (DNQ) did not qualify; (A) absent; (Z#) Davis/Fed Cup Zonal Group (with number indication) or (PO) play-off; (G) gold, (S) silver or (B) bronze Olympic/Paralympic medal; (NMS) not a Masters tournament; (NTI) not a Tier I tournament; (P) postponed; (NH) not held; (SR) strike rate (events won / competed); (W–L) win–loss record.
To avoid confusion and double counting, these charts are updated at the conclusion of a tournament or when the player's participation has ended.

Only main-draw results in WTA Tour, Grand Slam tournaments, Fed Cup/Billie Jean King Cup and Olympic Games are included in win–loss records.[49]

Singles

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Current through the 2025 Miami.

Tournament 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 SR W–L
Grand Slam tournaments
Australian Open A A Q1 Q1 Q1 0 / 0 0–0
French Open A A A Q3 0 / 0 0–0
Wimbledon A A A Q3 0 / 0 0–0
US Open A A A Q3 0 / 0 0–0
Win–loss 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0–0 0 / 0 0–0
WTA 1000
Qatar Open NTI A A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Dubai A NTI A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Indian Wells A A A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Miami Open Q1 1R 1R Q2 QF 0 / 3 3–3
Madrid Open A Q1 1R 2R 1 / 2 1–2
Italian Open A A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Canadian Open A A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Cincinnati Open A A A A 0 / 0 0–0
Wuhan Open NH A 1R 0 / 1 0–1
China Open NH A A 0 / 0 0–0
Career statistics
Tournaments 1 1 6 6 1 Total: 15
Overall win–loss 1–1 0–1 0–6 1–6 3–1 0 / 15 5–15
Year-end ranking 529 219 205 158 $504,935

ITF Circuit finals

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Singles: 8 (5 titles, 3 runner-ups)

[edit]
Legend
W100 tournaments (1-0)
W60 tournaments (0–1)
W40 tournaments (0–1)
W25 tournaments (3–1)
W15 tournaments (1–0)
Finals by surface
Hard (5–3)
Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Win 1–0 Jan 2021 ITF Manacor, Spain W15 Hard Spain Yvonne Cavallé Reimers 5–7, 6–1, 6–2
Win 2–0 Apr 2022 ITF Chiang Rai, Thailand W25 Hard Thailand Luksika Kumkhum 6–4, 6–2
Loss 2–1 Jun 2022 ITF Madrid Open, Spain W60 Hard Spain Marina Bassols Ribera 4–6, 5–7
Win 3–1 Jun 2023 ITF Yecla, Spain W25 Hard Switzerland Valentina Ryser 6–3, 7–5
Win 4–1 Aug 2023 ITF Roehampton, United Kingdom W25 Hard Australia Arina Rodionova 6–2, 6–3
Loss 4–2 Aug 2023 ITF Aldershot, United Kingdom W25 Hard Australia Destanee Aiava 6–3, 4–6, 1–6
Loss 4–3 Nov 2023 ITF Pétange, Luxembourg W40 Hard (i) France Océane Dodin 1–6, 5–7
Win 5–3 July 2024 Open Araba en Femenino, Spain W100 Hard Andorra Victoria Jiménez Kasintseva 6–4, 6–4

Doubles: 4 (3 titles, 1 runner-up)

[edit]
Legend
W100 tournaments (1–0)
W60/75 tournaments (1–0)
W50 tournaments (1–0)
W25 tournaments (0–1)
Finals by surface
Hard (3–0)
Clay (0–1)
Result W–L Date Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Loss 0–1 May 2021 ITF Platja d'Aro, Spain W25 Clay Russia Oksana Selekhmeteva Romania Oana Georgeta Simion
Lithuania Justina Mikulskytė 		3–6, 5–7
Win 1–1 Jan 2024 ITF Pune Open, India W50 Hard Latvia Darja Semeņistaja United Kingdom Naiktha Bains
Hungary Fanny Stollár 		7–6(8), 6–3
Win 2–1 Mar 2024 Open de Seine-et-Marne, France W75 Hard (i) France Estelle Cascino United Kingdom Maia Lumsden
France Jessika Ponchet 		7–5, 7–6(4)
Win 3–1 Jul 2024 Open Araba en Femenino, Spain W100 Hard France Estelle Cascino Bulgaria Lia Karatancheva
Latvia Diāna Marcinkēviča 		6–3, 2–6, [10–4]

Junior Grand Slam finals

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Singles: 1 (title)

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Result Date Tournament Surface Opponent Score
Win 2022 US Open Hard Czech Republic Lucie Havlíčková 6–2, 6–4

Doubles: 2 (2 titles)

[edit]
Result Date Tournament Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 2020 Australian Open Hard Indonesia Priska Madelyn Nugroho Slovenia Živa Falkner
United Kingdom Matilda Mutavdzic		 6–1, 6–2
Win 2021 French Open Clay Russia Oksana Selekhmeteva Russia Maria Bondarenko
Hungary Amarissa Kiara Tóth		 6–0, 7–5

ITF Junior finals

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Legend
Grade A
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5

Singles (4–5)

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Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Opponent Score
Loss 0–1 Jul 2018 ITF Jakarta, Indonesia G4 Hard Indonesia Priska Madelyn Nugroho 2–6, 6–4, 1–6
Win 1–1 Oct 2018 ITF Alicante, Spain G5 Clay Spain Jéssica Bouzas Maneiro 6–2, 6–3
Win 2–1 Nov 2018 ITF Makati City, Philippines G4 Clay Canada Dasha Plekhanova 6–4, 6–2
Loss 2–2 Nov 2018 ITF Manila, Philippines G4 Clay Indonesia Janice Tjen 3–6, 6–2, 5–7
Loss 2–3 Jan 2019 ITF New Delhi, India G2 Hard Italy Federica Sacco 5–7, 3–6
Loss 2–4 Jan 2019 ITF Kolkata, India G2 Clay Thailand Mai Napatt Nirundorn 6–2, 3–6, 2–6
Win 3–4 Sep 2019 ITF Cape Town, South Africa GA Hard Czech Republic Linda Fruhvirtová 6–3, 6–3
Loss 3–5 Oct 2019 ITF Osaka, Japan GA Hard France Diane Parry 2–6, 4–6
Win 4–5 Jul 2021 ITF Milan, Italy GA Clay Czech Republic Nikola Bartůňková 6–3, 6–3

Doubles (3–2)

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Result W–L    Date    Tournament Tier Surface Partner Opponents Score
Win 1–0 Oct 2018 ITF Alicante, Spain G5 Clay Germany Joelle Lilly Sophie Steur Russia Maria Dzemeshkevich
United Kingdom Lily Hutchings 		6–2, 6–2
Loss 1–1 Jun 2019 ITF Offenbach, Germany G1 Clay Australia Annerly Poulos France Selena Janicijevic
France Carole Monnet 		4–6, 2–6
Loss 1–2 Sep 2019 ITF Cape Town, South Africa G2 Hard United States Elvina Kalieva Poland Weronika Baszak
United Kingdom Matilda Mutavdzic 		3–6, 6–4, [3–10]
Win 2–2 Dec 2019 ITF Plantation, United States GA Clay Belarus Evialina Laskevich Canada Jada Bui
Canada Melodie Collard 		6–3, 6–7(3), [10–5]
Win 3–2 Jul 2021 ITF Milan, Italy GA Clay United States Madison Sieg Croatia Lucija Ciric Bagaric
Belgium Sofia Costoulas 		6–4, 4–6, [13–11]

Notes

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References

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  1. ^ "Alexandra Eala | Player Stats & More – WTA Official".
  2. ^ a b "Alex Eala Breaks Through at Miami Open: A Star Rises for the Philippines". March 23, 2025.
  3. ^ "Alexandra Eala". October 12, 2020 – via www.itftennis.com.
  4. ^ Mina, Rosy (September 11, 2022). "Alex Eala reigns at US Open for first major junior girls' singles title". ABS-CBN News. Retrieved September 11, 2022.
  5. ^ "Michael Francis Eala Overview".
  6. ^ "Alex Eala". April 11, 2022.
  7. ^ "Lilov & Eala win at Les Petits As". tenniseurope. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  8. ^ "Filipina Alex Eala makes US Open juniors debut vs tough Aussie". Philippine Daily Inquirer. September 1, 2019.
  9. ^ "Top Juniors Honored". Business Mirror. February 22, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  10. ^ "Alex Eala wins first juniors Grand Slam title in 2020 Australian Open". Rappler. January 31, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  11. ^ "Alex Eala, Priska Nugroho sweep foes to win Australian Open crown". ESPN. January 31, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  12. ^ "Tennis: Alex Eala, Indonesian partner claim Australian Open girls' doubles title". ABS-CBN. Retrieved December 11, 2024.
  13. ^ "Alex Eala clinches juniors world No. 2 after French Open romp". Rappler. October 12, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  14. ^ "Alex Eala wins Grand Slam on Independence Day: 'I hope I made my contribution to the country'". Inquirer.net. June 12, 2021. Retrieved June 13, 2021.
  15. ^ "Alex Eala, Oksana Selekhmeteva win French Open girls' doubles title". ESPN. June 12, 2021. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  16. ^ "Alex Eala, Russia's Selekhmeteva win French Open girls' doubles title". abs-cbn. Retrieved December 13, 2024.
  17. ^ "Alex Eala reigns at US Open for first major junior girls' singles title". abs-cbn.com. Retrieved September 14, 2022.
  18. ^ "Alexandra Eala becomes first Filipina to win a junior Grand Slam singles title at the 2022 US Open". US Open. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  19. ^ "Alex Eala to make pro debut in Tunisian tourney". Philstar. Retrieved March 5, 2020.
  20. ^ "Alex Eala enters top 1000 in Women's Tennis Association World Ranking". msm news. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
  21. ^ Reyes, Kate (March 23, 2021). "Alex Eala falls short to Slovakian foe in Miami Open qualifiers". Spin.ph. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  22. ^ "Alex Eala, partner finish second place at W25 Spain". sports.inquirer.net. May 22, 2021. Retrieved May 28, 2021.
  23. ^ "Philippines' teen champion Alex Eala wins WTA main draw debut match at Winners Open". goodnewspilipinas.com. August 4, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  24. ^ "Alex Eala absorbs tough loss to close first WTA tourney". Tiebreaker Times. August 5, 2021. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  25. ^ "Early exit for Alex Eala in Miami Open debut". Tiebreaker Times. March 24, 2022. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  26. ^ Carandang, Justin Kenneth (May 20, 2022). "Tennis ace Alex Eala settles for bronze in women's singles". GMA News. Retrieved March 25, 2025.
  27. ^ "Eala bows to Doi in first round of Australian Open qualifiers". BusinessWorld Online. January 9, 2023. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  28. ^ "Alex Eala crashes out of Thailand Open". Manilla Bulletin. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  29. ^ "Erika Andreeva, Brenda Fruhvirtova awarded Miami Open wild cards". Women's Tennis Association. March 14, 2023.
  30. ^ "Alex Eala soars to new high in WTA rankings ahead of Asian Games". Sports Inquirer. September 20, 2023.
  31. ^ Ramos, Gerry (September 29, 2023). "Eala, Alcantara win bronze on another slow day for Team Philippines". Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
  32. ^ "Madrid 2024: Dates, draws, prize money and everything you need to know". Women's Tennis Association. April 18, 2024.
  33. ^ "Alex Eala stuns former world No. 5 in Miami Open qualifiers". rapper.com. March 18, 2024.
  34. ^ "Eala succumbs to cramps, falls in Miami Open qualifying draw". The Philippine STAR.
  35. ^ "Wild card Eala defeats Tsurenko in Madrid, notches first Top 50 win". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  36. ^ "Madrid Open: Cirstea beats wildcard Eala to move into third round". Tennis Majors. April 25, 2024. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  37. ^ Villanueva, Ralph Edwin (May 23, 2024). "Eala loses steam vs Argentine foe, falls short of French Open main draw". Philstar.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  38. ^ Villanueva, Ralph Edwin. "Eala loses to New Zealander to miss out on Wimbledon". Philstar.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  39. ^ "[Editorial] Alex Eala's journey to the tennis world began with a single step toward a pinnacle of achievements". Philippine Daily Mirror. August 24, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  40. ^ "Bouzkova bests wild card Eala in Guadalajara night session". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved November 6, 2024.
  41. ^ "Eala catches big fish". Daily Tribune. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  42. ^ "Eala breaks through, Mboko tests Badosa in strong day for teen wild cards". Women's Tennis Association. Retrieved March 22, 2025.
  43. ^ @TheTennisLetter (March 23, 2025). "Alexandra Eala after beating Madison Keys in Miami to become 1st Filipino to beat a top 10 player "I'm thinking of my parents who are watching now. 🥹 I can't call them because I have this interview but I'll call them after"😂😂" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  44. ^ "Alexandra Eala upsets Madison Keys in third round of Miami Open". ESPN. March 23, 2025.
  45. ^ "Alex Eala stuns Australian Open champion Madison Keys in Miami for best career win". The New York Times. March 23, 2025.
  46. ^ "Teenager Eala Takes Down Keys To Reach Round Of 16 In Miami". WTATour. March 23, 2025.
  47. ^ "Alexandra Eala's star rises in Miami: "This is a good step towards where I want to be"". March 24, 2025.
  48. ^ "EALA INTO MIAMI QUARTERFINALS AFTER BADOSA WITHDRAWS". March 24, 2025.
  49. ^ "Alexandra eala [PHI] | Australian Open". ausopen.com.
[edit]
Sporting positions
Preceded by Orange Bowl Girls' Doubles Champion
2019
With: Belarus Evialina Laskevich 		Succeeded by
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