PH’s tennis star Alex Eala recognized as one of the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Next Icons

TURIN, Italy —“Honored to be part of Forbes 30 Under 30. Still Processing this one!,” Alex Eala, Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) Top 37, said on Instagram, as the business media outlet Forbes Asia recognized her achievements as a young successful Filipina tennis player in the June 2026 issue.

“Alex Eala got Filipinos fired up about tennis after she broke into the Women’s Tennis Association’s (WTA) Top 50 last year. She climbed as far as No. 29 in March 2026 to become the nation’s highest-ranking player in modern history before retreating to No. 44 in April,” Forbes Asia stated in the story.

“Her recent career has been a volley of firsts: Last year she became the first Filipina to beat two Top 10 players (Miami Open, March); to reach a WTA tour final (Eastbourne International, June); and to win a Grand Slam singles main‑draw match (U.S. Open, August). She capped 2025 by taking the women’s singles title at the Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, a first for the Philippines since 1999, followed in January by a doubles victory against veteran player Venus Williams and partner at Auckland’s ASB Classic.”

“The support has been incredible,” Eala,21, said in a Forbes Asia’s email interview. “Tennis can sometimes feel quiet and serious, so having that energy makes it special,” the left-handed tennis player said.