Amidst the ups and down in her career, Filipino tennis sensation Alexandra ‘Alex’ Eala has been named among TIME magazine’s
100 Next, which is a list of the world’s most influential rising stars.
The country’s pride is currently off to the semifinals of the women’s singles tournament after brushing aside all opposition in the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
Eala joins the TIME 100 Next list with America basketball stalwarts Olivia Miles and Tyrese Maxey, comedians Ashley Padilla and Druski, Afghan educator Shabana Basij-Rasikh and Kenyan entrepreneur Wawira Njiru.
In the article announcing the honorees, tennis legend Rafa Nadal wrote the entry on Eala, sharing that the Filipina tennister was the first player he shared a tennis court with after his retirement.
“One day, she asked whether I felt like hitting with her for a while. For the first time in many months, I picked up a racket and played again,” wrote the former Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) world’s number one.
In an interview, Nadal, who owns the Rafa Nadal Academy where Eala graduated from after being a full scholar for five years, looked back with fondness on the Filipina star’s modest beginnings, as well as her meteoric rise in tennis.
“I’ve been lucky enough to know Alex since she began her journey at Rafa Nadal Academy and have closely followed her tremendous career. At just 19, Alex beat three Grand Slam champion players at the 2025 Miami Open. This year, she won the WTA 500 tournament, becoming the first player from the Philippines to break into the world’s top 20,” he went on.
“And she still has plenty of room to grow. One of her greatest strengths is precisely her ability to listen, learn, and keep improving,” he added.
Still, the Spaniard enthused that Eala has “remain(ed) a wonderful person—warm, approachable and humble.”
“It isn’t easy to handle becoming a true phenomenon at such a young age, and she deserves a lot of credit for keeping her feet on the ground. Now, all that remains is to keep enjoying watching her progress.” he asserted.
Eala, now ranked 18th in the world, has been one of the fastest rising stars in the sport. She is now in the midst of an Asian Games run in Japan, where she is set to compete in the semifinal round this afternoon.
