Alexandra Eala advances at Tokyo’s Pan Pacific Open

She opened the Toray Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo with a victory over Mika Stojsavljevic. The win was described as passing a test by WTA Tennis and as a dominant opening win by ESPN. The result moved her into the round of 16, where she will face Talia Gibson, according to the match schedule posted on tennismajors.com.

Who is Alexandra Eala

Alexandra Maniego Eala was born on 23 May 2005 in Quezon City, Philippines. She turned professional and rose to a career‑high ranking of world No. 18 in August 2026, the highest ever for a Filipino and for Southeast Asia on the WTA Tour. Eala is the first Filipino to break into the top 20, defeat a top‑10 opponent, reach the fourth round of a Grand Slam, make the semifinals of a WTA 1000 event and capture a WTA Tour title. She represents the Philippines Billie Jean King Cup team, a role she has held since 2024. In 2021 she was named Asia’s Most Influential Philippines.

Lesser‑known facts

Eala is fluent in Spanish, English and Tagalog, reflecting her multilingual background. She is commonly known as Alex and stands 175 cm tall. Her birthday, 23 May, is shared with Swedish writer Pär Lagerkvist and American physicist John Bardeen, both listed in the Index. Among the five Index entries born in Quezon City, the most widely recognised is actor Reggie Lee, placing Eala in a small group of notable locals.