Alex Eala is a top-50 player and one of the biggest stars in women’s tennis.
But it wasn’t a guarantee that she would break into the world’s elite.
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Eala’s coach, Joan Bosch, has now shared what she has achieved that he wasn’t sure would be possible.
Joan Bosch didn’t think Alex Eala would be a top-100 player
Appearing as a guest on ‘Game Set Madrid‘, Bosch was asked for his thoughts on Eala’s potential.
“Personally, as a coach, I don’t want to see a ceiling, because it wouldn’t motivate me enough,” he said (translated from Spanish).
“I always try to think that we can be better.
“When we started, or at least when I started with her, neither I nor so many others thought that she could have gotten this far.
“A month ago, she was ranked 29th in the WTA rankings.
“Even being in the top 100 wasn’t something we thought was possible.
“Now she’s 44th, so we still have 43 better players!
“If the maximum is 29th, then so be it. If we try, we have to go for more, as that’s what gives you the motivation to work every day.”
WTA Rankings
| Rank | Name | Live Rank | Career-high | Country | Points |
| 40 | Jelena Ostapenko | 38 | 5 | Latvia | 1,314 |
| 41 | Elisabetta Cocciaretto | 40 | 29 | Italy | 1,310 |
| 42 | Katerina Siniakova | 39 | 27 | Czechia | 1,299 |
| 43 | Peyton Stearns | 48 | 28 | USA | 1,296 |
| 44 | Alex Eala | 41 | 29 | Philippines | 1,285 |
| 45 | Marketa Vondrousova | 43 | 6 | Czechia | 1,263 |
| 46 | Lois Boisson | 42 | 34 | France | 1,259 |
| 47 | Laura Siegemund | 45 | 27 | Germany | 1,217 |
| 48 | McCartney Kessler | 47 | 30 | USA | 1,214 |
| 49 | Dayana Yastremska | 50 | 21 | Ukraine | 1,200 |
Eala currently sits 44th in the world rankings, having established herself as a top-50 player.
The Filipina will rightly have her sights set on a top-30 return before too long.
But when did Eala make her breakthrough on the WTA Tour?
Alex Eala became a star at last year’s Miami Open
Most tennis fans outside of the Philippines first became aware of Eala at the 2025 Miami Open.
Receiving a wild card into the main draw, Eala took down Katie Volynets, 6-3, 7-6, in the first round.
Advancing to round two, she met the former Grand Slam champion, Jelena Ostapenko.
Delivering arguably the finest performance of her young career, Eala defeated the Latvian in straight sets, 7-6, 7-5.
What is the best win of Alexandra Eala’s career so far? 🤔
Iga Swiatek in Miami, Clara Tauson at the US Open, Jasmine Paolini in Dubai, or a different match?
She then played another major winner, Madison Keys, in the third round.
Extending her winning run, Eala beat Keys, 6-4, 6-2.
The youngster was rewarded for her efforts with a bye into the quarter-finals, when her fourth-round opponent, Paula Badosa, withdrew from the competition.
There, she played the second seed and former champion, Iga Swiatek.
Few believed Eala stood a chance, but she wasn’t done making history in Miami…
Eala stunned Swiatek, 6-2, 7-5, announcing herself as the sport’s newest star.
Her run came to an end in the semi-finals, losing a thriller to Jessica Pegula, 6-7, 7-5, 3-6, but she left Miami with her head held high.
Having been ranked 140th in the world before the Miami Open began, she jumped into the top 100, slotting into 75th.
After Miami, Eala reached her first WTA Tour final in Eastbourne, narrowly losing out to Australia’s Maya Joint, and picked up her maiden Grand Slam main-draw win at the US Open.
In 2026, she’s up to 16th in the ‘Live WTA Race’, consistently winning matches at tour-level events.
Alex Eala’s record in 2026
| Tournament | Performance | Match wins | Defeat |
| ASB Classic | Semi-finals | 3 (Donna Vekic, Petra Marcinko, Magda Linette) | Wang Xinyu |
| Australian Open | First round | 0 | Alycia Parks |
| Abu Dhabi Open | Quarter-finals | 2 (Zeynep Sonmez, Aliaksandra Sasnovich) | Ekaterina Alexandrova |
| Qatar Open | First round | 0 | Tereza Valentova |
| Dubai Tennis Championships | Quarter-finals | 3 (Hailey Baptiste, Jasmine Paolini, Sorana Cirstea) | Coco Gauff |
| Indian Wells | Fourth round | 2 (Dayana Yastremska, Coco Gauff) | Linda Noskova |
| Miami Open | Fourth round | 2 (Laura Siegemund, Magda Linette) | Karolina Muchova |
| Linz Open | Second round | 1 (Julia Grabher) | Jelena Ostapenko |
| Stuttgart Open | First round | 0 | Leylah Fernandez |
| Madrid Open | Second round | 1 (Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova) | Elise Mertens |
She’ll be looking to maintain her impressive form over the coming months on clay.
Following her second-round exit in Madrid, Eala will play the La Bisbal Challenger event before heading to Rome for the Italian Open.
