Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala is set to begin her clay court season as the top seed in the 2025 Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal, marking a major milestone in her professional career.
This is the first time Eala has earned the No. 1 seed in a WTA 125 tournament, following her breakout performance at the prestigious Miami Open, where she defeated three Grand Slam champions and surged to a career-high No. 73 in the WTA world rankings.
The tournament, which kicks off on April 14, will be closely watched as it marks Eala’s return to competition after reaching the semifinals in Miami, Florida.
Among the players she is expected to face is world No. 80 Katie Volynets of the United States — the same opponent Eala overcame in straight sets during the opening round of the Miami Open in March.
Now dubbed a “giant slayer” at just 19 years old, Eala admitted feeling the pressure that comes with recent success and rising expectations.
“And I understand that this is new for me. This is something I haven’t done before, being in the top 100 and being one of the seeded players. So that’s what I’m trying to work on — being able to continuously keep up this level,” she said.
A graduate of the Rafa Nadal Academy, Eala is also preparing for the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open starting April 22, followed by another WTA 125 event in Vic, Spain.
In May, the Filipino tennis prodigy will continue her European campaign in Italy, competing in the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome and the WTA 125 in Parma.
