Alex Eala: Rising Tennis Star Catches Anna Wintour's Eye

In New York, under the hard lights of the US Open and the flash of courtside cameras, Alex Eala found herself in a different kind of spotlight — one trained by Anna Wintour.

The Filipino tennis star, already carving out a place among the game’s rising talents, has now caught the eye of the most powerful figure in fashion. Wintour, a lifelong tennis devotee and the unmistakable face of Vogue, singled out the 21-year-old during the tournament’s coverage, her approval delivered with the same cool authority that has shaped global style for decades.

Watching an exhibition match between Roger Federer and Andy Roddick on Tuesday, Wintour spoke about the growing bond between tennis and fashion, name-checking Serena Williams and Naomi Osaka as the modern standard-bearers for self-expression on court. Then the focus shifted.

As Eala’s image appeared in the interview clip shared on the US Open’s official social media pages, Wintour drew a line from the sport’s established icons to its new blood.

“We had the young Filipino star — you could see even in such a young star, how interested she is in fashion and how she wants to learn about it and follow it,” Wintour said, linking Eala to a generation of players who see style as an extension of identity, not an afterthought.

Her words carried weight. Wintour doesn’t hand out compliments lightly, and when she does, careers tend to move.

The two finally crossed paths at the tournament, a brief handshake captured in a video posted by Facebook user Rulee Occiano. No red carpet, no runway, just a quick meeting between a player on the rise and a tastemaker who has seen every iteration of tennis chic over the last four decades.

Eala arrived in New York with momentum already building. Days before stepping into her US Open campaign, she climbed to a career-high World No. 18 in the WTA rankings, a breakthrough that confirmed her as more than just a promising junior graduate. The ranking says contender. The presence says star in the making.

Her wardrobe has been keeping pace. Eala’s on- and off-court looks have drawn attention for being fashion-forward without feeling forced — clean, feminine lines, a sense of ease, and a confidence that doesn’t need loud colors to make noise. Wintour’s “eye” picked up on that, too.

“It’s really interesting, especially when you look at players like Serena and Naomi who really embrace fashion and express themselves with it,” Wintour said, before tying it all together. “I think it’s great, it’s wonderful how sports and fashion have become this wonderful sort of marriage.”

On the hard courts of New York, Eala’s ranking and results will ultimately decide how far she goes in the sport. But when Anna Wintour pauses to point out a “young Filipino star” as part of tennis’ evolving style story, it signals something else:

Alex Eala is no longer just on the radar of the tennis world. Fashion is watching now, too.