Alex Eala reflects on milestones, lessons as Grand Slam season ends

Alexandra Eala, of the Philippines, celebrates after a point against Iva Jovic, of the United States, during the third round of the U.S. Open tennis championships, Saturday, Sept. 5, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

As her tennis season winds down, Alex Eala was confronted with a question about how she managed her meteoric rise to superstardom: What has she learned from the sharp growth spurt that catapulted her to global fame?

In typical fashion, Eala reframed the question.

“What have I not learned this year?” she asked.

A year after she burst into mainstream tennis consciousness with a strong performance at the 2025 Miami Open, the Filipino tennis icon tore through milestone after milestone, enhancing her resume with career-high rankings and breakthrough victories.

“[W]ith, I guess, this experience, or the experiences that I’ve had this year, I was put in so many situations and, I guess, so many firsts. And with those situations come new lessons,” Eala said after exiting the US Open, the final Grand Slam event of the year.

“I learn about myself. I learn about how to act. I learn about what’s the best way for me to handle an obstacle.”

The 21-year-old Eala lost to American Iva Jovic, her close friend, 7-5, 3-6, 7-5, at Arthur Ashe Stadium, which was filled to the brim with loud fans—mostly roaring for Eala—who supercharged the atmosphere of an already highly anticipated showdown between two of the sport’s rising stars.

The defeat sent Eala into a quick break before she sees action in the Singapore Open later this month. After that, it’s off to Japan to represent the Philippines in the Asian Games.

But even after absorbing her third defeat in as many matches to Jovic, the daughter of Serbian and Croatian parents who grew up in California, Eala felt she proved her evolution as a player was on schedule.

“I do think that I’ve grown as a player since the last time that we played each other. And I definitely think that [in] this match, I had my chances, and I was able to set myself up for some opportunities, which was great,” the world No. 18 said.

“I think I’m happy with the match. I think in general, of course, there is disappointment in losing. But yeah, trying to see the positive side, I think it was a really good match. I think the level was really high.”

“I think that what I know for sure is that I left everything out there. I fought through the ups and downs. I guess there were moments when I wasn’t playing so well, and moments where I was playing really well,” she added.

If Eala wins the Asian Games singles gold, she will book a spot at the 2028 Olympics. But even without that feat, it already has been a big year for Eala. She beat defending champion Iga Świątek to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon, the first Filipino to achieve that feat. She won her first WTA title at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington. She has whipped past top-10 players with regularity.

She proved she is a force to reckon with on the women’s tour, and not just a big-ticket superstar who packs tournament venues.

And she will carry important lessons as she continues her growth.

“I learn about what effect my decisions have further down the line. And those themes stick with tennis, yes, but also in life,” Eala said. “So that’s … a summary of what I learned in the past year.” INQ