Alex Eala at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2026. ARCHIVE

Alex Eala has broken into the top 35 of the Women’s Tennis Association rankings for the first time in her career, climbing to a career-high No. 31 in the latest update released on Monday (February 23). The 20-year-old Filipino made the biggest leap among players inside the top 50, jumping 16 spots from No. 47. Her previous best ranking was No. 40, set just two weeks ago. The surge followed a standout campaign at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, where Eala reached the quarterfinals in her tournament debut and collected 205 ranking points. Eala arrived in Dubai after an early exit at the Qatar Open but quickly found her rhythm. She opened her campaign with a win over Hailey Baptiste before stunning World No. 8 Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 7-6(5) in the second round. The dominant display marked her third career victory over a top-10 opponent. In the Round of 16, she defeated Romania’s Sorana Cirstea 7-5, 6-4 under the Centre Court lights, ending Cirstea’s seven-match winning streak and booking a quarterfinal showdown with World No. 4 Coco Gauff. Gauff proved too strong in their first singles meeting, winning 6-0, 6-2. The American later fell to Elina Svitolina in the semifinals, while Jessica Pegula went on to claim the title with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over Svitolina in the final. Despite the quarterfinal loss, Eala’s performance cemented her status among the rising names on the WTA Tour.

“I think she would be proud”

After her Round of 16 win, Eala reflected on her journey in an interview with Expat Media. Asked what her five-year-old self would think of her current success, she smiled and said: “I think that my 5-year-old self would be proud to be sure but I want to say not too surprised. “Of course at that age your imagination can go wild. But as long as I can remember this has been my dream and I’ve worked really hard for this to happen and for myself to succeed,” Eala told Expat Media. She recalled her early sacrifices in Manila. “You can imagine a 5-year-old training in Manila, having her grandfather as a coach. At a very young age I was training many hours compared to a lot of the other athletes surrounding me so I would say and go out on a limb to say that the sacrifice had already started back then,” she said. Eala also spoke about the lessons from her first full year competing primarily in WTA tournaments, which began around the time of the Miami Open last year. “I think I’m learning, obviously. As the Miami Open anniversary comes up, I will be coming up one year of full, really full just WTA tournaments so I think that comes with a lot of learnings as well; a lot of maturity,” she said. “Especially this past year 2026 has brought me a lot of love and a lot of attention from fans so it does come with its set of struggles and set of sacrifices but I think in the end I need to remind myself that this is what I’ve been working my whole life for. “How many people would love to be in my position. So I make it a point every day to really give my all and be grateful for what I have.”

History and home support

Eala made history on August 25, 2025 when she became the first Filipino to win a main-draw match at the US Open, defeating Denmark’s Clara Tauson, then ranked World No. 14. Her Dubai debut was marked by sold-out tickets and a crowd largely made up of Filipino supporters waving Philippine flags. After beating Paolini, she addressed the stands: “This stadium is full of Filipinos. Ilan kaya sa inyo yung nagdadasal para sa akin? How many of you have been praying for me to win? So I really have to give everything I got.” As she heads into the next stretch of the season, including the BNP Paribas Open in California, Eala does so with a career-high ranking and growing belief that she belongs among the sport’s elite. PIA/MFD/Expat Media
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