Alex Eala reveals the tennis legend she needs as her dream doubles associate

Every tennis fan loves the dream-team query. Who would you pair with on court if anything were potential? Players often choose a doubles specialist or a present star. Alex Eala had a bolder thought.

Eala is one of tennis’s most talked-about younger stars. Her story has crossed borders and her title travels fast. Fans now comply with every remark she makes. Even a playful reply in an interview becomes large information.

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A shocking reply in a Vogue interview

Around the begin of the 2026 US Open, Eala took half in a Vogue function in which she named her dream doubles associate. She did not select a present WTA participant or one of her close associates on tour.

Her reply was short and clear: Rafael Nadal. The Spanish legend won 22 Grand Slam singles titles, and Eala has long recognized him as one of the gamers who impressed her tennis journey.

Nadal retired from skilled tennis in 2024, making an official tour partnership unlikely. Still, Eala has already shared a court with her longtime idol during coaching, giving her a glimpse of what enjoying alongside him feels like.

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Why Rafa Nadal means so much

Eala’s bond with Nadal runs deep. After she won a event in France in 2018, scouts from the Rafa Nadal Academy reached out. The academy sits in Nadal’s hometown of Manacor on Mallorca in Spain.

Eala skilled at the academy for several years. She has said Nadal’s work ethic taught her loads. His capability to endure on court is merely unmatched, she once instructed the Tennis Channel in an interview.

No surprise the choose feels natural. For an academy product, Nadal is more than a hero. He is a guiding presence in her tennis life who still follows her rise and cheers every large milestone.

Nadal’s messages comply with every large win

Nadal retains cheering for her. In 2025, Eala reached the Miami Open semifinals and beat Iga Swiatek along the means. Nadal wrote on X that he felt extraordinarily proud of Alex after her quarterfinal win.

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In August 2026, Eala won her first WTA Tour title in Washington. Nadal congratulated her, along with the Philippines and his academy. She turned the first Filipino ever to win a WTA Tour singles title.

These messages show a heat and lasting bond. A legend taking time to reward a former pupil is actually particular. Eala clearly values that support, and it fuels her drive to keep enhancing each day.

Another choose was a close pal

Nadal was not Eala’s only reply to this type of query. During the Ningbo Open in October 2026, she was requested to select gamers for totally different actions and named Zeynep Sonmez as her most well-liked doubles associate.

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Eala called the Turkish participant “a really good tennis player” and said the pair have loads of enjoyable collectively. They had already teamed up at the Wuhan Open earlier that month, where they confronted Anhelina Kalinina and Dayana Yastremska.

That alternative highlighted friendship and chemistry, while her Nadal reply mirrored admiration for one of her largest tennis influences. Together, the solutions show totally different sides of what Eala values in a potential associate.

Her want listing contains male stars

Eala has also named 3 males’s tennis stars she would love to associate with in blended doubles. During a fan Q&A forward of the Stuttgart Open in April 2026, she talked about Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and João Fonseca.

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She later acquired an alternative to compete in blended doubles at the 2026 US Open alongside Canadian star Felix Auger-Aliassime. The pairing introduced collectively 2 established singles gamers for a high-profile occasion in New York.

Eala and Auger-Aliassime confronted Elina Svitolina and Gael Monfils in the opening spherical on August 25. Their partnership ended with a 4-1, 4-1 defeat, but the look gave Eala another likelihood to compete alongside a outstanding participant on the worldwide stage.

Doubles success runs through her profession

Doubles has always been half of her recreation. As a junior, she won the 2020 Australian Open doubles title with Priska Madelyn Nugroho. A 12 months later, she won the Roland Garros title with Oksana Selekhmeteva.

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Her breakout junior second came in singles. In 2022, she won the US Open women’ title and gave half of her speech in Filipino. She also thanked the Rafa Nadal Academy in her profitable remarks.

These early wins gave Eala confidence on the largest levels. They also confirmed that her expertise works in both singles and doubles. Titles at that age constructed a robust base for her professional journey forward.

Venus Williams made another dream actual

Eala has already lived one doubles dream. At the Bad Homburg Open in June 2026, she teamed up with Venus Williams. Reports called it a childhood dream come true for the younger Filipino tennis star.

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Playing with a legend teaches classes no observe session can match. Doubles calls for trust and fast pondering at the web. Such uncommon moments can help Eala grow as a tennis participant and as a particular person.

Still, a pairing with Nadal stays totally different. Venus is a tour legend still enjoying at the moment. Rafa stands aside as the hero who formed her path. That distinction may nicely clarify why his title came first.

What her choose says about her

Her choose exhibits loyalty. Eala left the Philippines at age 13 to prepare in Spain. She has called the academy her home, and Nadal stays the largest title tied to it in her entire story.

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Her followers make every match really feel particular. Her military of supporters usually fills stadiums and has impressed Coco Gauff and Jessica Pegula. Big goals really feel nearer when a loud and passionate crowd believes in her.

So a dream with Nadal may keep a dream. Yet the alternative tells us who Eala is. She honors her roots and loves daring concepts. That mix of respect and dreaming could carry her far.

Little-known truth: Ahead of her Wimbledon debut in 2025, Nike gave Alex Eala a customized hair tie adorned with a sampaguita, the Philippines’ national flower. Eala said the accent reminded her of her nation and tradition, making her first look on Wimbledon’s Centre Court even more significant.

TL;DR

• Alex Eala named Rafael Nadal as her dream doubles associate in a Vogue interview.

• Nadal retired from skilled tennis in 2024, making an official doubles partnership unlikely.

• Eala skilled at the Rafa Nadal Academy, and Nadal has publicly celebrated her achievements.

• She has also named Zeynep Sonmez, Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic and João Fonseca among her most well-liked doubles companions.

• Eala partnered with Venus Williams at Bad Homburg and Felix Auger-Aliassime at the 2026 US Open.

• Her decisions replicate admiration for established champions and appreciation for fellow gamers.

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This article was made with AI help and human modifying.

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