Alex Eala Celebrates Special Family Occasion Before US Open Mixed Doubles

Alexandra Eala, who won her first WTA title at the Washington Open earlier this month, is one of the biggest draws at the 2026 US Open.

Eala enters the grand slam ranked No. 18, a historic career high for a woman from Southeast Asia. While there's a big spotlight on the 21-year-old at Flushing Meadows, she stays grounded through the support of her family.

Eala's father, Michael "Mike" Eala, her mother, Rosemarie “Rizza” Maniego-Eala, and her brother, Michael "Miko" Eala, are her biggest fans.

While preparing for her mixed doubles match at Flushing Meadows, she's partnered with Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime, the Filipino superstar celebrated her big brother's birthday.

Eala posted a photo of the duo on her Instagram Stories and wrote, "Happy Birthday broski."

In an interview with Iguales ahead of the Madrid Open, Eala gushed over her brother, who played Division I tennis at Penn State University.

"Oh my gosh, I cannot tell you how many things I’ve learned from my brother,” she said.

“Anything, he is the first person I go to if I really have any troubles. I think my brother is such a nice person, and he’s super smart, super intelligent... Whenever I need advice, I know he's the one I can go to.

Alexandra Eala Practices With Her Older Brother, But Admits She Can Never Beat Him

Much to Eala's chagrin, she can never beat her brother on the court. “I remember after he graduated college, he probably didn’t touch a racket for six months, and he kept telling me, ‘Alex, I suck now. I’m so bad, I feel so unfit.'

"And the one day, I went to practice with him. I asked him to practice with me… I still lost! I swear, when I play with Miko... I feel like I have a mental block. If you ever need someone who knows exactly how to beat me, it’s Miko."

Alex Eala Calls Her Parents The 'Most Hard-Working People' She Knows Despite Growing Up 'Comfortably'

While there's chatter around certain tennis players with cushy upbringings, Eala's mother was the CFO at Global Telecom, she told Bounce's Ben Rothenberg that her parents instilled her strong work ethic.

"Yeah. Well, for one, my parents worked super, super hard for what they have. And I can tell you that my parents are two of the most hard-working people I know, right? And if I get my work ethic from anyone, it’s from them.

"I mean, I grew up comfortably, which, I’m thankful to my parents for that," she said.

I mean, of course, the journey would have been easier for me as compared to someone, let’s say, who’s in poverty. Of course, if you’re financially struggling -- in general, in life -- if you are financially struggling, it’s going to be more difficult for you than if you were financially stable or financially covered.

"But that definitely does not take away from the fact that I worked hard, or it does not take away from the obstacles that I’ve had to face. And at the end of the day, the ball doesn’t know who your parents are. The ball doesn’t know how much money you have, right."

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