Filipina tennis star Alex Eala has reached a new career-high No. 18 in the WTA live rankings, continuing her remarkable rise through the world rankings just hours before she makes her Cincinnati Open debut.
The latest rankings, updated on August 15, show Alex moving two spots up from No. 20, which she first entered earlier this month following her historic title run at the Mubadala DC Open.
Alex now sits at 2,166 ranking points, moving ahead of Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova, who has 2,131 points and drops to No. 19.
The jump is another reflection of just how quickly Alex has climbed the rankings in recent months.
Back in June, she was ranked No. 30 after reaching the semifinals of the Berlin Tennis Open. She then moved to No. 28 following her Wimbledon campaign in July before making another major leap to No. 20 in early August after claiming the title in Mubadala DC Open and becoming first Filipino player to win a WTA singles title.
According to the WTA live rankings, Alex could add more points depending on how far she advances in Cincinnati. A win in her next match would bring her total to 2,221 points, while winning the entire tournament could give her a maximum of 3,156 points.
The 21-year-old will begin her Cincinnati Open campaign in the second round, where she will face Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse, who is currently ranked No. 63 in the WTA live rankings.
In her pre-tournament press conference, Alex shared her excitement with her Cincinnati debut.
“I am super excited to be here in Cincinnati for the first time. Hopefully the weather will get better as time goes by. I think the facility is amazing. I also saw the amusement park pulling up here through the side, so, hopefully I'll have time for that too.”
Their match is scheduled for August 15 at 11 p.m. (PHT).