Alex Eala named to Forbes Asia's 30 Under 30 Entertainment and Sports list

Alexandra “Alex” Eala has been included in the 2026 Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 list for entertainment and sports.

Forbes highlighted Eala’s rise in global tennis over the past year after she reached a career-high No. 29 in the WTA rankings last March and achieved a series of milestones.

These included defeating Grand Slam champions during her dream run in Miami last year, reaching a WTA final in Eastbourne in June, winning her first Grand Slam singles match at the US Open, and capturing the Southeast Asian Games gold medal — the Philippines’ first in the event since 1999.

In an email interview with Forbes, Eala said she is elated by the support the Filipino diaspora has been giving her whenever she competes abroad.

“Tennis can sometimes feel quiet and serious, so having that energy makes it special,” Eala said, as quoted by Forbes.

Eala recently absorbed a first round defeat against Iva Jovic in the French Open.

Also included in Forbes Asia’s 30 Under 30 entertainment and sports list are Filipino singer-songwriter Zack Tabudlo, Japanese baseball player Yoshinobu Yamamoto, former NBA player Isaac Humphries of Australia, New Zealand Olympic gold medalist Hamish Kerr, golfers Minjee Lee of Australia and Shannon Tan of Singapore, Thai badminton Olympic silver medalist Kunlavut Vitidsarn, and Chinese track and field athlete Wu Yanni, among others.

—JKC, GMA News