Overview
- Former pros Sam Querrey and Steve Johnson said Eala is currently the biggest draw in women’s tennis, rating her above Coco Gauff and Aryna Sabalenka.
- Packed stands have followed Eala across 2026 stops in Melbourne, Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where her matches reached standing-room-only levels.
- Eala reached the Dubai quarter-finals with wins over Hailey Baptiste, world No 8 Jasmine Paolini and Sorana Cirstea before falling to Gauff.
- Her results have delivered a career-high ranking and her first seeding at a WTA 1000 event, set to begin at Indian Wells.
- Kim Clijsters praised Eala’s mental growth after Australian Open backlash and urged protection as she likened the player’s fame in the Philippines to Michael Jordan.