Alexandra Eala Is on the 2026 TIME100 Next - Time Magazine

Alexandra Eala was the first player I shared a tennis court with after my retirement. One day, she asked whether I felt like hitting with her for a while. For the first time in many months, I picked up a racket and played again.

I’ve been lucky enough to know Alex since she began her journey at Rafa Nadal Academy, and have closely followed her tremendous career. At just 19, Alex beat three Grand Slam champion players at the 2025 Miami Open. This year, she won the WTA 500 tournament, becoming the first player from the Philippines to break into the world’s top 20. And she still has plenty of room to grow. One of her greatest strengths is precisely her ability to listen, learn, and keep improving.

But perhaps more importantly, Alex remains a wonderful person—warm, approachable, and humble. It isn’t easy to handle becoming a true phenomenon at such a young age, and she deserves a lot of credit for keeping her feet on the ground. Now, all that remains is to keep enjoying watching her progress.

Nadal is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in tennis.