Living the dream: Globetrotting Eala on why tennis is more than just a job

[SINGAPORE] To sit down for a quiet conversation with Alexandra Eala is a rarity these days, such is the Filipino tennis star’s insanely packed schedule where everyone – the media, corporate sponsors and her growing legion of fans – wants a piece of her time and attention.

It’s also a privilege to watch and listen to how she articulates her thoughts and emotions, which offers a tiny glimpse into her 21-year-old mind and how she grapples with the often unforgiving global spotlight that has accompanied her meteoric rise over the past 18 months or so.

Eala admits she lives out of a suitcase for most of the year as she is on a plane almost every week jetting off from one corner of the planet to another. It’s a little trade-off for being one of the most sought after personalities – not just in tennis, but sport as a whole.

Not long after her participation at the US Open – the fourth and final Grand Slam of the season – she was seen mingling with the likes of former Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and Hollywood actress Amanda Seyfried at New York Fashion Week.

After a quick stop in Manila last week, she was soon back at the airport to board the four-hour flight to Singapore, where she is one of the headline acts of the Singapore Tennis Open presented by BNP Paribas tournament that begins on Monday (Sep 21).

When The Business Times sat down for a chat with Eala last Friday morning, less than 24 hours after she touched down at Changi, she had just finished gracing an event as the new Asia-Pacific (excluding China) brand ambassador for Marriott Bonvoy’s Tennis The World campaign.

Asked about her remarkable journey from being ranked 140th in the world last year to finding herself in the top 20 today, Eala – with her trademark poise and maturity – said she was grateful to be where she is at such a young age.

“It’s just been such a blessing to be able to experience all of this, and to succeed and flourish in doing what I love,” she said in the interview held at the NCO Club along Beach Road.

“I really do love tennis and this has been my dream to be an established and professional tennis player since I was young, so I really feel like I’m living it right now.”

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‘Driven and ambitious’

During this season and last, Eala achieved victories over some of the sport’s most decorated players that even she, at times, found difficult to process.

At the 2025 Miami Open, she entered the tournament as a wildcard and went on a remarkable run to the semi-finals by defeating Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and then-world No 2 Iga Swiatek.

Eala claimed her first WTA Tour title – the Mubadala DC Open – in August this year by overcoming the defending champion Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, and lastly, Jessica Pegula in a dramatic rain-delayed final.

That sent Eala straight into the history books as the first player from the Philippines to win a WTA singles title, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if she continues to add more trophies to her haul in the coming years.

At the Singapore Tennis Open, which has a prize purse of US$1.25 million, the third-seeded Eala has received a bye into the second round where she will face either Sofia Costoulas or Tatiana Prozorova. If she gets past either of them, a potential quarter-final with the world No 17 Donna Vekic could take place.

When this reporter mentions how singles tennis can be a rather lonely sport at times with no teammate to discuss tactics with or to get a quick pick-me-up, Eala barely hesitated as she explained where she draws the confidence to always give her best on the court.

“It’s part of my character, and part of the foundation of values that my family has instilled in me. Also, being an athlete makes you very resilient. And I guess it’s innate in me to be driven and ambitious. So with every milestone I achieve, it motivates me to do more and to continue on that path,” she said.

Alignment of values

Of late, many of the world’s top brands have clamoured for Eala’s signature to bring her on board as an ambassador or partner. Some have been with her for over a decade, such as Philippine telecommunications giant Globe Telecom whom she signed with when she was just eight years old.

In August, she joined forces with Marriott Bonvoy – the travel and loyalty programme of Marriott International with more than 300 million members and growing – as both sides share the “same belief” in the power of travel and meaningful experiences.

When asked how she picks which brands to associate herself with, Eala said it was all about having that alignment of values.

“That’s a very important aspect of the relationships I build with the brands that I work with. How are we able to make or to create a relationship that’s filled with trust? Because after all, we are partners and we want to work together, hopefully, to produce great things,” she said.