Filipina tennis star becomes Southeast Asia’s highest-ranked women’s singles player as she continues her rapid rise ahead of the US Open
Alex Eala has broken new ground again, rising to a career-high No. 18 in the WTA singles rankings and becoming the highest-ranked Southeast Asian women’s singles player in history.
The 21-year-old Eala jumped two places from No. 20 to surpass the previous regional record held by Indonesia’s Yayuk Basuki and Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn, who both reached No. 19 during their careers.
Basuki achieved the mark in 1997, while Tanasugarn reached No. 19 in 2002.
Eala’s latest milestone caps a breakthrough season in which she cracked the WTA’s top 20 for the first time.
She most recently competed at the Cincinnati Open in Ohio, where she reached the round of 32 before losing to world No. 10 Amanda Anisimova on Aug. 18.
Before Cincinnati, Eala reached the round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Toronto, where Belinda Bencic ended her run.
Her rise to No. 18 comes as she prepares for the US Open, the year’s final Grand Slam tournament. Eala is set to compete in women’s singles and mixed doubles, where she will partner with Canada’s Felix Auger-Aliassime.
Eala is also scheduled to play US player Iva Jovic in the Stars of the Open exhibition on Aug. 27 before the US Open main draw begins the following week.
At 21, Eala continues to rewrite the record books for Philippine and Southeast Asian tennis while establishing herself among the world’s elite. FROM THE WIRES
