Alexandra Eala was named to the 2026 TIME100 Next list, becoming the only tennis player included in the magazine’s annual selection of emerging figures shaping the future.
The Filipina was recognised in the Innovators category, with 22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal praising her progress and character in an accompanying tribute.
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“One of her greatest strengths is precisely her ability to listen, learn, and keep improving,” he wrote.
Nadal also described Eala as “warm, approachable, and humble”, crediting her for staying grounded despite the attention surrounding her rise.
The Spaniard, who oversaw her development at his academy, said she still has considerable room to improve after winning her first WTA Tour title in Washington and reaching the world’s top 20 this year.
He also revealed that Eala was the first player he shared a court with after retiring, having accepted her invitation to practise after several months away from tennis.
Besides Eala, other athletes named to the list were basketball players Tyrese Maxey and Olivia Miles, footballers Naomi Girma and Folarin Balogun, American football quarterback Arch Manning and Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi.
