US Open junior champion Alexandra Eala lands on Vogue cover in native Philippines

The Break: Wimbledon is reportedly poised to relax some of its famous all-white clothing rules.

First, she was a Grand Slam champion. Now, she's a cover star. Reigning US Open girls' singles winner Alexandra Eala recently graced the cover of November's issue of Vogue magazine in her native Philippines, and opened up on everything from making history to her goals for the future.

The 17-year-old, nicknamed Alex, was born in Quezon City, the most populous city in the Philippines, but has trained at Rafael Nadal's namesake academy in Mallorca since age 12. She comes from a family of athletes: Her mother, Rosemarie 'Rizza' Maniego-Eala, won the bonze medal in the 100-meter backstroke at the 1985 Southeast Asian Games, and her brother, Michael, who goes by 'Miko,' plays tennis for the Pennsylvania State University.

Eala says that having her mother, brother, and father Mike on hand for her New York triumph helped give her the distraction she needed as she chased history. Already the girls' doubles champion at the 2020 Australian Open and at Roland Garros a year later, she didn't lose a set en route to winning her first junior Grand Slam singles title.

“I think it really helped that my brother was there and my family was there,” she tells Vogue's Jacs Sampayan. “It helped me relax, and have fun before the match and not really think about what’s actually happening.”

In her fledgling professional career, Eala won her first pro title last year at an ITF World Tennis Tour W15 event in Mallorca, and also won a W25-level event in Chiang Rai, Thailand this April. A month prior, she received a wildcard for the WTA 1000 event in Miami.

As the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles title at any level, Eala says she recognizes that her status comes with unique pressures. But as she takes the next steps in her career, she's not viewing that as a challenge. Instead, like Billie Jean King famously says, she sees it as a privilege.

“I’m happy that they have faith in me," Eala says. "I’m happy that I have such a strong group of supporters. I don’t like to think of it as pressure. I’m happy that I can give them hope. I’m happy that I can give them something to follow. It makes me more motivated to work.”