FILIPINA tennis sensation Alex Eala has competed across the globe and has met many sports personalities.
But the one icon she dreams of meeting is none other than Filipino boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.
The world No. 45 Eala, who recently reached the round of 16 in the 2026 Miami Open where she bowed to Czech Karolína Muchová, was guest at the Players’ Box Podcast along with fellow netters Madison Keys, Jessica Pergola, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Kwacyzk.
When asked whose athlete from a different sport she wanted to meet, Eala did not go far away from home.
“Manny Pacquiao, I haven’t met him yet. Obviously, he’s the Filipino icon,” she answered.
“He’s huge. Like, when he has a fight before, it would be like a holiday in the Philippines,” she added.
Eala is not yet in the level of Pacquiao in terms of fame but the Filipina netter's stock is rising by the day.
At age 20, she is already considered as the most successful and most popular tennis player from the Philippines.
Eala said that despite her rising profile, her daily life remains largely unchanged.
“I notice [the fame] most when I’m at home in the Philippines,” Eala said. “But even when I visited my cousin in Los Angeles, three people approached me. If you had told me two years ago that people would be asking for pictures ... well.”
Eala also highlighted the cities where Filipino fans have shown her the most support, whenever she is on tour.
“New York is a big one, as are Melbourne, Manila, and Dubai,” she said. “The Middle East has a massive Filipino population, which I think surprises some people.”
She recalled a lighthearted conversation with a peer during a training session before heading to Abu Dhabi, where a player suggested that if she could draw a crowd there, she could draw one anywhere.
“Middle East tournaments are sometimes known for having smaller crowds,” she added. “I told them, ‘Wait, you don’t realize how many Filipinos are there.’ For me, it was actually the opposite of what they expected.”
Following her exit from the Miami Open, Eala has shifted her focus to the 2026 Upper Austria Ladies Linz, scheduled on April 6 to 12.
After her ranking slipped from a career-high of No. 29 to No. 45, she will likely enter the Linz Open unseeded, facing a formidable field that includes Ekaterina Alexandrova and Emma Raducanu.