ALEX EALA is likely to finish among the Top 150 women’s tennis players in the world this year for the first time in her career.
Ms. Eala slightly climbed to No. 148 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings this week from No. 149 earlier this month approaching the final year-end list.
Pending a major slide, Ms. Eala is poised to net her highest WTA year placing ever after starting outside the Top 1000 when she entered the women’s pro circuit four years ago.
The 19-year-old Filipina sensation debuted at No. 1180 in 2020 and scaled the ranks from there on. She placed 529th and 219th in 2021 and 2022, respectively, before striking within the sport’s titans at No. 205 last year.
This year, Ms. Eala reached her career-best at No. 143 back in July after a twin-title feat in the W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz singles and doubles tournaments in Spain.
That’s her fourth pro singles title as she achieved the doubles feat with partner Estelle Cascino from France. The Filipina-French duo also won the W75 Croissy-Beauborg in France as Ms. Eala teamed up with Latvia’s Darja Semenistaja in ruling the W50 Pune in India for her third overall doubles title.
From there, Ms. Eala came so close to being the first Filipina in a women’s Grand Slam main draw to highlight her stellar year marked by deep runs against more seasoned rivals all over the world.
A junior singles and doubles Grand Slam champion, Ms. Eala jumped on to the women’s tilt, where she reached the finals of the qualifying draw in the prestigious French Open, Wimbledon and US Open before falling just short.
Ms. Eala bowed to Julia Riera of Argentina, 6-4, 6(3)-7, 4-6, in the French Open finals, fell to New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in 6(3)-7, 5-7, in the Wimbledon finale and took a 6-3, 1-6, 4-6 meltdown loss against Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the US Open qualifying championship. — John Bryan Ulanday
