Alex Eala earns over $900,000 in prize money in historic 2025 season

Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala continues to break new ground, strengthening her case as the brightest young star to emerge from Southeast Asia in recent years. At just 20 years old, Eala has already built an impressive résumé, earning admiration and a growing fan base both in the Philippines and around the world.

The 2025 season proved to be a true breakthrough for the Filipina standout. Eala reached her first WTA final, made a stunning semifinal run at the Miami Open, and captured her maiden WTA 125 title—milestones that underscored her rapid rise on the professional circuit. Those achievements propelled her to a year-end ranking of No. 53 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) standings.

Financially, the season was equally rewarding. Eala finished inside the top 100 of the 2025 WTA prize money leaders, ranking 74th with total earnings of $907,777 (more than ₱53 million). The figure represents more than a threefold increase from her 2024 earnings of $289,628, when she placed 159th on the prize money list.

Where Eala Earned Her 2025 Prize Money

Eala’s biggest payday came at a WTA 1000 event—the Miami Open—where she pocketed $332,160 following a historic semifinal run. Along the way, she stunned Grand Slam champions Iga Świątek, Madison Keys, and Jelena Ostapenko, one of the most remarkable streaks of victories by a Filipino player in the Open era.

Beyond the financial reward, Miami proved to be a career-defining moment. The ranking points she gained lifted her from No. 140 to a then-career-high No. 75, allowing her to crack the WTA top 100 for the first time. That breakthrough granted her direct entry into Grand Slam main draws, where even first-round appearances come with significantly larger prize money.

At the French Open in May, Eala earned $84,452 despite a first-round exit—more than double the $30,380 she collected as runner-up at the WTA 250 Eastbourne Open in June. Both results were historic, as she became the first Filipino to compete in a Grand Slam main draw and the first to reach a WTA Tour final in the Open era.

Alex Eala hugging her parents after becoming the first Filipina to win a Gold Medal in tennis at the SEA Games in 26 years.

A heartfelt moment with the ones who believed in her before anyone else did.

Priceless. 🥹

🇵🇭❤️

pic.twitter.com/ZFVjYadTK2

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) December 18, 2025

Eala continued to make history throughout the season. She earned $89,465 at Wimbledon and $154,000 at the US Open, where she recorded another landmark achievement by becoming the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam main-draw match in the Open era after defeating world No. 15 Clara Tauson in the opening round. Although she fell to Cristina Bucșa in the second round, the victory marked a major turning point in her career.

The momentum carried into September, when Eala captured her first WTA Challenger title at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico, earning $15,500. Additional five-figure earnings came from appearances at the Madrid Open ($35,260), Australian Open qualifying ($22,091), Italian Open ($15,120), and Canadian Open ($12,770).

In total, Eala earned $851,582 in singles and $56,195 in doubles during the 2025 season. She will also receive a ₱300,000 government incentive after winning the gold medal in women’s singles at the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.

The Cost of Competing on Tour

Eala competed in 27 tournaments across 16 countries in 2025, traveling through Australia, India, Singapore, Slovakia, the United States, Portugal, Spain, Italy, France, Great Britain, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, China, Japan, and Hong Kong. Such a demanding schedule comes with significant expenses, particularly for a player supported by a full coaching team. Eala works closely with two coaches—Joan Bosch and Sandro Viaene—from the Rafa Nadal Academy.

Beyond travel and accommodation costs, logistical challenges such as visa applications add another layer of difficulty. The Philippines ranks 77th in the Henley Passport Index, behind several Southeast Asian neighbors, often requiring Filipino athletes to spend more time and resources securing travel clearance.

Despite these challenges, Alex Eala’s 2025 season stands as a landmark year—not only in terms of results and earnings, but in what it represents for Philippine tennis. Her rise into the WTA elite has opened doors that once seemed unreachable for Filipino players, proving that sustained excellence on the global stage is possible. As Eala continues to grow, her journey is no longer just about personal success—it has become a blueprint for the next generation of tennis players from the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

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