Tennis

Alex Eala ruled the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain, jumping from number 155 to number 143 in the Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF) Women's Tennis Association (WTA) ranking. She became the highest -ranked Filipina player in the women's tour.

ABS-CBN reporter Dyan Castillejo, who was an active player during the 1980s, had a career-high ranking of 245. Eala, who grew up in Quezon City, has been on a steady climb in the tennis game tour. It's pointless to compare her career to Martina Hingis's, who won three Grand Slam titles at a very young age of 16, but there was no doubt about her bright future. She's one the up-and-coming players to watch out for. 

Eala won her fifth ITF title of her career, defeating Andorran standout Victoria Jimenez Kasuntseva, 6-4, 6-4. 

"This win means the world to me, it even made me ugly cry.I am so proud because this represents the culmination of so much hard work," Eala said in her Instagram post. "Securing my biggest titles yet in both singles and doubles is a fairytale finish, and I’m overwhelmed with emotion. This will always have a special place in my heart, and I leave here with a pocket full of great memories and the will to work harder," she added.

Eala's current ranking may not be high enough to compete in the Hologic WTA Tour often, but she has a good chance of being invited to the week-long qualifying round of the 2024 US Open. The Filipina tennis ace won the girl's singles title at the 2022 US Open. 

6 Reasons Why Alex Eala Would be a Top Player

Alex Eala had an outstanding junior career. Eala winning the girl's singles title at the 2022 US Open is a breakthrough of sorts. Most of the top players in the WTA Tour, present and past, have outstanding junior careers. It's only a matter of time. Some local fans compare Eala's trajectory to Leylah Fernandez's, and it seems wrong to assess the historic performance, or career, of the two. Filipino-Canadian Fernandez had a Cinderella story after her 2021 US Open run, but she had modest success afterwards. And it remains to be seen if she would have another breakthrough. There's a possibility that Fernandez and Eala would play against each other next year, or the year after next, and it would be great news for Philippine tennis. For now, fans must celebrate Eala's baby steps. 

Eala has been a student of the Rafa Nadal Academy. What do Canadian Felix Auger-Aliassime, Finn Emil Ruusvuori, and Norge Casper Ruud have in common? All three trained at the Rafa Nadal Academy. Casper Ruud is a three-time Grand Slam finalist, which should inspire Eala. Moreover, Eala receives a wild card entry from the organizers of the Mutua Madrid Open. If this is one of the perks of being a former student of the Rafa Nadal Academy, then Eala is in good hands. And she's in the right direction as well.

Eala is an all-court player. All of Eala'\s five ITF titles were won on hard courts. And the US Open is the most prestigious hard-court tournament in the world. She did well in the clay courts as well. She was runner-up in the girl's singles in the 2020 French Open. She won the girl's doubles title in Roland Garros the following year. The Filipino tennis player may not have delivered the desired results on grass, Wimbledon in particular, but there were flashes of promise in the qualifying rounds this year. 

The Pinay tennis player will become a top Asian player in the Hologic WTA Tour. Very soon. Kimiko Date is the most successful Asian player in the WTA Tour, holding her ground against Steffi Graf during the 1990s. Japan's former top-ranked player settled down before the end of the 1990s, but she made a remarkable comeback at a very late age. Graf even joked about it. There were other Asian players who had some success in the women's tour, but not one of them came close to Date's. Eala can duplicate that success after fans notice her determination and passion in this demanding sport. She could be a late bloomer like Roger Federer, but she shouldn't be underestimated or overlooked. 

Alex Eala is a left-handed player. Most southpaws have successful careers. Martina Navratilova is the most successful leftie in the women's tour. If skeptics aren't convinced enough, then they can count soon-to-retire German ace Angelique Kerber, 2023 Wimbledon champ Markéta Vondroušová of the Czech Republic, and Leylah Fernandez. 

Eala addressed her fans in Tagalog after winning the girl’s singles at the 2022 US Open. The diversity would make for a great atmosphere at WTA tournaments. "It's important to me because I don't see a lot of Filipinos on the worldwide tennis stage. I think we're very patriotic and we love our culture, and that's how I grew up too -- being proud of our traditions and whatnot. So I'm just carrying that part of my personality on to the court and into my career," she said. 

What the Future Holds for Alex Eala’s Tennis Career

We foresee Alex Eala making big moves in the 2025 WTA Tour, predicting a moderate success in the European clay-court swing and improved performance in the hard courts of North America. Her breakthrough? It can happen late next year. The Asian swing would be the perfect place to do it. And she would be 21 years of age. 

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