SINGAPORE — To say that Alex Eala has had an eventful year would be an understatement.
Already considered a rising star in women's tennis after a breakout campaign in 2025, Eala reached new heights in 2026 — notching milestones that are unprecedented for a Filipino tennis player.
There was a strong swing in the Middle East, and a run to the fourth round of Indian Wells. She recovered from a somewhat shaky clay court campaign with a sensational run on grass, wherein she reached the fourth round of Wimbledon. That event saw her dethrone defending champion Iga Swiatek in the third round.
Two months later came the much-awaited breakthrough: Eala won her first WTA Tour title in Washington, beating the top-seeded Jessica Pegula in an entertaining final. Buoyed by that achievement, Eala reached the fourth round in the Canadian Open, and had a noteworthy campaign in the US Open where she made it to the third round.
READ: Alex Eala turns back Pegula, makes history with DC Open title
It was in the US Open that Eala had one of her favorite matches: a third-round showdown with one of her good friends, American Iva Jovic. Eala came out on the losing end of a three-set marathon, but the experience was one that will stick out in her highlight reel for 2026.
"It was one of the matches that defined the year for me. I think the level was just super high, and it was very competitive," Eala told reporters in Singapore on Friday, where she was unveiled as the face of a hotel chain's tennis platform before competing in the Singapore Open.
"Three hours of just pure competition. It was a very complete match -- tactically, physically, mentally. [It] really pushed me. So although it was a very tough [loss] to swallow, I'm very grateful to have experienced that," she added.
"It was a night session, 7:00 p.m. on Ashe [Arthur Ashe Stadium], so I couldn't have asked for a better experience."
READ: Alex Eala falls to Jovic anew, bows out of US Open
There will still be chances for Eala to add to the highlight reel: after the Singapore Open, she will represent the Philippines in the Asian Games in Japan, where she has been tabbed as a player to watch. She is also featured in promotional materials for the Hong Kong Open.
She expects to end the year at home, where she will play Indonesia's Janice Tjen in an exhibition match at the Philippine Arena — with the chance to set an attendance record for a tennis match.
The 21-year-old, now ranked 18th in the world by the WTA, will continue to be in the spotlight. The matches will be plenty, and so will the off-court appearances — the brand deals, the endorsement shoots, the media guestings. It's a reality that Eala has learned to navigate, particularly in the past couple years.
But make no mistake: even as her profile continues to rise, and opportunities outside the court come her way, Eala knows that she has to stay focused on what is most important.
FASHION WEEK
"Eala-mania" was in full force in New York in the past month, as Filipino fans packed the player's events leading up to the US Open. Come game time, they made themselves heard: Eala was supported by a vocal crowd in wins over Mary Stoiana and Oleksandra Oliynykova, before she and Jovic treated the audience at Ashe to an epic encounter.
READ: As hype and expectations grow, Alex Eala maintains steady mindset
Even after her tough exit in the US Open, Eala made headlines. She attended some shows in the New York Fashion Week, even sitting next to former Vogue editor Anna Wintour at the front row of the Michael Kors show.
"I love fashion, and I am what some might call kikay," Eala told ABS-CBN News of her experience. "Just living that out and having that Fashion Week experience is you know, something that I never imagined would happen so soon. But super grateful for everything that I experienced that week."
And sitting beside the fashion icon that is Anna Wintour? It's an experience that Eala won't forget any time soon.
"I admire her so much for what she's done for fashion, what she's done for women in general, and just how she's paved the way for so many," said Eala. "To be able to be in her presence and absorb just like, her aura and her presence is an incredible, incredible experience."
Days later, Eala finds herself in Singapore, being unveiled as the face of Marriott Bonvoy's "Tennis The World" platform. The hotel chain is offering its members a chance to meet the Filipina at the Australian Open, among other packages that they offer for the first Grand Slam of the year.
It's the latest addition to Eala's burgeoning endorsement portfolio — one that Forbes predicts will only continue to grow. In a profile ahead of the US Open, Forbes pegged her offcourt earnings to have exceeded $5-M in the past 12 months, and projected that her earning potential will be "exponentially higher in the years to come."
For this, Eala is grateful. "I am so grateful for the relationship that I've had with said brands, with Marriott Bonvoy. I think we have an incredible relationship that's been in the making for some time now," she said.
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Filipina tennis star Alex Eala at an event in the NCO Club for Marriott Bonvoy's "Tennis The World" platform, September 18, 2026 in Singapore. Handout/Marriott Bonvoy
One of Eala's most-high profile endorsements is with Nike, which has released plenty of merchandise for the athlete in the past year. Among those is a shirt, featuring the statement: "Kapag lumago, hindi na hihinto."
It's a sentiment that summarizes Eala's meteoric rise, but it's also one that speaks to the growth of tennis in the Philippines — a direct impact of the player. Recently, the Philippine Sports Commission committed to building more tennis centers in the country, in hopes of developing more players who can follow in Eala's footsteps.
"Seeing the growth of tennis in the Philippines, I guess in the past year or two, has really just touched my heart in a way that's very hard to describe," Eala told ABS-CBN News. "Tennis was never a popular sport for us. And now, everyone wants to pick up rackets, everyone of all ages.
"Everyone wants to put their kids in tennis; the kids themselves want to play tennis. They feel empowered when they do so," she added.
For Eala, who learned the sport in shell courts and traveled extensively for tournaments, seeing more and more Filipinos — especially young Filipinos — pick up the sport is a full circle moment.
"It just makes my inner child very happy," she said.
There is no doubt that Eala is well-aware of the impact she has already made, and she understands that as young as she is, she is already building quite a legacy. But the 21-year-old has also learned not to dwell on these things — there are, after all, so much more that she wants to achieve, and that requires staying in the moment.
"It's very difficult to grasp that — the impact, I guess, that I've had. And second, I'm also very focused on my career at the moment and my career at hand," she stressed.
"I can't let go of that focus for too long or even just one second, because it's a very demanding position to be in. It's a very competitive field, as you can imagine," Eala added.
"I think that commitment and that determination ultimately keeps me very grounded."
Still, there is one long-term goal that she allows herself. In Singapore, Eala was asked for her vision for the future of women's tennis, and the Filipina star made sure to pay tribute to the trailblazers who built the sport into what it is now.
"Every single woman who has played tennis has contributed to its history and to the progression of the sport just by doing what they love and working hard," she said. "So I hope to do the same.
"I hope to, in my own little way, whatever it is, leave tennis better than I found it."