Tennis: Filipina star Alex Eala, 20, hits new high, heads into Guangzhou Open with fresh momentum

Manila: Philippine tennis sensation Alexandra Eala is riding high. 

Just after reaching a career-high in the official Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, she’s now gearing up for yet another climb. 

Based to the WTA live rankings, Eala is currently sitting at No. 52 (just behind her official ranking of No. 53), a fresh personal best.

This surge comes hot on the heels of her breakthrough at the 2025 Guadalajara 125 Open, where she captured the singles title and became the first Filipino ever to win a WTA 125 tournament. 

She also had a string of solid showings in other WTA events, which helped vault her up the rankings.

Now Eala is back in China, preparing for the 2025 Guangzhou Open, where she will compete in both singles and doubles. 

In singles, she faces the US’s Claire Liu today (October 21) in the first round. 

In doubles, she has teamed up with Ukraine’s Nadiia Kichenok and they will take on China’s Tang Qianhui and Britain’s Emily Appleton in the Round of 16.

Eala, who hails from Quezon City and trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Spain, is now not just the highest-ranked Filipino player in WTA history but also a rising global contender.  

“Short term, I’m just trying to maintain this level … week by week,” she told Town and Country in a recent interview. 

With her increased confidence and form aligned, Guangzhou could be another stepping-stone. 

If she keeps this up, expect her to crack into the top 50 and make even bigger waves.