ALEX Eala’s meteoric rise in the international tennis scene reached another peak after barging into Top 300 rankings of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
From No. 317, Ms. Eala jumped 35 notches to No. 282 as per the WTA list on Tuesday for her new career-best placing in the women’s pro circuit.
Ms. Eala, only 17 years of age, started at No. 526 this season and way outside the Top 1000 when she turned pro in 2020.
She has won two championships since then in Spain and Thailand with hopes of capturing more crowns in a bevy of tournaments still in line for her this season.
Last week, she just fell short from that bid after a semifinal exit in the W60 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain. She also finished runner-up in the W60 Madrid last month.
With only a little break, Ms. Eala is slated to play in the W25 El Espinar/Segovia also in Spain starting today with a first-round action against Maria Bondarenko.
The Filipina wunderkind opted to focus on women’s tournaments this season more than the juniors, where she was once the world No. 3 player built on two doubles Grand Slams in Australian and French Open. — John Bryan Ulanday
