Alex Eala hits career-high WTA ranking of 54, nears historic Top 50

Dubai: The 20-year-old Filipina tennis superstar has moved up to a career-best World No. 54, jumping four spots in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings after a punishing stretch across China.

It was a true test of endurance, three straight tournaments, several three-setters, and more than a few battle scars, but Eala’s resilience once again showed why she’s considered one of Asia’s brightest young stars.

At the Jingshan Open, where she came in as the top seed, Eala powered her way to the semifinals before bowing to New Zealand’s Lulu Sun in a tight 3-6, 6-4, 6-2 duel. She then rolled into the Suzhou Open, a WTA 125 event, and pulled off a marathon three-hour win over Belgium’s Greet Minnen to reach the quarterfinals. Her run ended there, though, in heartbreaking fashion, a 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (0) loss to Switzerland’s Viktorija Golubic.

Still, those deep runs were more than enough to boost her ranking, proving that consistent performances, even short of a title, can pay off in the WTA ladder.

Eala capped her China swing with an appearance at the Wuhan Open qualifiers, where she battled Japan’s Moyuka Uchijima (then ranked World No. 92). She went down fighting in three sets, 4-6, 6-3, 2-6, against a more experienced opponent.

Up next: the Japan Open in Osaka, set for October 13 to 19. A strong showing there could finally push her into the Top 50, a milestone no Filipina has ever reached before.