Filipino tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala has reached another milestone in her young career, achieving a new career-high ranking of World No. 54 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) standings released Monday.
Eala moved up four places from her previous rank of 58th, continuing her steady rise on the international tennis stage despite a tough stretch in recent tournaments. The 20-year-old standout from the Rafa Nadal Academy now holds a total of 1,123 points on the WTA leaderboard, where Belarus’ Aryna Sabalenka remains at the top with 11,010 points.
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Strong Gains Despite Early Exit
Eala earned 29 of her latest 31 ranking points from her quarterfinal finish at the 125-tier Suzhou Open and an additional two points from the Wuhan Open qualifiers. Her latest ranking reflects a net gain of +40 points over the past week, replacing points lost from the same period in 2023 under the WTA’s rolling 52-week system.
Her most recent matches came at the Wuhan Open, where she fell to Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, in the first-round qualifiers.
“Some crazy matches this week back to the drawing board with a bit more experience and a lot of sweat lost” Eala wrote in an Instagram post after the match.
Momentum from Breakthrough Year
Eala’s latest achievement follows a strong 2024 campaign that saw her capture her maiden WTA title at the Guadalajara 125 Open in September and post deep runs at several international events. She previously reached her career-best 56th ranking in June after finishing runner-up at the Eastbourne Open.
Despite recent early exits in Sao Paolo, Jingshan, and Suzhou, Eala continues to build momentum heading into her next tournaments. She is set to compete in the Japan Open from October 13 to 19, followed by the Guangzhou Open and Hong Kong Open later this month.
With her consistent performance and steady improvement, Eala remains the Philippines’ top-ranked tennis player and one of the fastest-rising young athletes on the global tour.
RELATED: [Eala Makes History: First Filipino To Win Major Main Draw Match]
