Alexandra Eala has become one of the most high-profile figures on the WTA Tour, despite being ranked 40th in the world.
The 20-year-old’s fan base is gargantuan, as evidenced by the overwhelming levels of support she has received at WTA events so far this year.
At the Australian Open, fans were witnessed queueing outside the stadium in which Eala was playing her first-round match against Alycia Parks.
What does Alexandra Eala need to improve in 2026 to challenge for a Grand Slam title?
Wherever Eala goes, her fans follow; and this is unlikely to change any time soon.
We asked you, the Tennishead readers, a pertinent TalkingPoints question: Is Alex Eala now the most popular player on the WTA Tour?
Tennis fans lean towards Coco Gauff as the most popular WTA Tour player
In a TalkingPoints discussion, two fans were in agreement over Coco Gauff being the most popular player on the WTA Tour.
It is easy to understand why: Gauff has been a star since breaking through at Wimbledon as a 16-year-old, and continues to hold global support from fans to this day.
“Coco Gauff and Qinwen Zheng would probably be more popular right now, but Alexandra Eala is certainly up there!” one fan said.
Another added: “I still think Coco Gauff is number one, but we can’t ignore Aryna [Sabalenka]! Tops the world rankings and could win the Australian Open once again. Big star.
Another contributor argued that while Eala may not be as popular as some major winners, she is by far and away the most popular WTA player ranked outside the top 10.
“Still reckon the Slam winners: Gauff/Sabalenka/Osaka have her covered,” they said. “But there’s nobody outside the top 10 that comes close to Eala.”
One tennis fan was conclusive in his take, claiming the soon-to-be American number one is the obvious answer in this discussion.
“Coco Gauff is miles ahead of, dare I say, any player male or female in terms of popularity,” they said.
Emma Raducanu also received a singular vote from one fan, who said: “Emma Raducanu is still in there for popularity.”
Perhaps Eala isn’t the most popular player on Tour. However, she is certainly in the conversation, as evidenced by another respondent.
“Miami Open 2025 was Alexandra Eala’s golden moment,” the fan said. “She won the Guadalajara Open afterwards and the Gold at Southeast Asian Games 2025. I don’t know if she’s the most famous woman player, but her improvement in her play is certainly worth watching.
Another tennis fan concluded: “Eala is a good story. Innocently dramatic, great tennis pedigree at Nadals Academy and results that put her in a positive light before tennis fans. She will be challenged, [Victoria] Mboko has fared much better, but she is refreshing for the game.”
Eala is set for small fall in the WTA rankings
The Filipina is currently set to fall three places to world number 43 following her loss to Tereza Valentova at the Qatar Open.
How high do you think Alexandra Eala’s ceiling is?
Valentova has gained 95 points after her victory and has risen to world number 40, while Dayana Yastremska and Ann Li have also overtaken Eala after their opening round victories in Doha.
Eala is now entering into a crucial stage in the tennis calendar. In March, she has 390 points to defend at the Miami Open after reaching the semi-finals in 2025.
As for Tereza Valentova – Eala’s first-round opponent in Qatar – the Czech 18-year-old continues to prove why she is one of the most promising talents on the Tour.
Valentova appears to be at ease on the biggest stages, and unlike Eala, has a powerful serve that complements her excellent groundstroke game.
Against Eala, Valentova served four aces and won 75 per cent of her first-serve points. However, she will hope to improve her second-serve win percentage moving forward, as she only won 44 per cent of second-serve attempts against Eala.
