Alex Eala dazzles as a guest in 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards
FROM the tennis court to the red carpet.
Clad in beige Filipiniana gown, Alexandra “Alex” Eala dazzled as a guest in the distinguished 2026 Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid before strutting her stuff in the Mutua Madrid Open this week.
Ms. Eala graced the red carpet of what is considered as the “Oscars of Sports” as Spanish star Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka were crowned as Sportsman and Sportswoman of the Year, respectively.
Legendary players Novak Djokovic of Serbia (tennis) and Eileen Gu of China (freestyle skiing) hosted the momentous occasion feting the world’s best athletes today.
And Ms. Eala took the most out of the golden moment with a rare selfie with the sporting greats at the historic Palacio de Cibeles in Madrid.
“Sandwiched between greatness,” beamed Ms. Eala on her photo with 22-time Grand Slam champion Mr. Djokovic and three-time Olympic gold medalist Ms. Gu.
Ms. Eala, a graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy also in Spain, wore an iconic Filipino dress designed by her own uncle, Rhett Eala, who’s a renowned fashion designer abroad.
Her appearance in the world’s most prestigious awarding ceremony should serve handy in an expected killer stretch starting with the WTA 1000 Madrid Open that runs on Wednesday until May 3.
Ms. Eala, who slightly improved to No. 44 in the WTA rankings, will go up against a qualifier at a still-to-be-determined schedule.
After Madrid, Ms. Eala is also listed in the WTA 1000 Rome Open and the WTA 125 Parma Ladies Open both in Italy for the continuation of her clay campaign.
Ms. Eala started her clay season with second-round and first-round stints in the Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open in Austria and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany, both WTA-500 level tours, respectively.
All of these serve as Ms. Eala’s buildup for the queen of clay that’s the French Open on May 24 to July 7 in Paris.
The Roland Garros will be Ms. Eala’s second Grand Slam this season after debuting in the main draw of the Australian Open in Melbourne earlier this year.
Then there’s Wimbledon in London and the US Open in New York later this season. — John Bryan Ulanday
