Alex Eala barges into WTA’s top 500 female tennis players

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala earned her highest female ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) after jumping 165 places higher than her previous ranking.

Earlier this month, the WTA put the Filipina as the 576th ranked female tennis player in the world but a couple of days ago, her points were suddenly updated which put her at no. 411.

Since joining the women’s professional division from her transition to the juniors’ division, Eala’s career-high since last year was only at rank no. 505.

However, her series of consistent playoff qualifications from the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W25 pro tournaments helped boost her rankings instantly.

Eala’s biggest point boost came after her first championship title of the year during the ITF Women’s World Tour W25 Asia-Oceania tournament held in Thailand.

The leftie Filipina handed Luksika Kumkhum a sweeping defeat, 6-4, 6-2, and is the biggest win of Eala this year so far.

Aside from her planned ITF W25 tournaments to be joined this year, Eala will also have the chance to compete at the 2022 Mutua Madrid Open to be held in Spain from April 26 to May 8.

This came after the Madrid Open organizing committee gave Eala a wild card participation and will vie for the main draw spot against six other chosen tennis players.

Eala is the youngest among the wild card participants and will also have the chance to make history as the only Filipina to win a title in Madrid.

After her series of professional tournaments, Eala will go back to training camp at the Rafael Nadal Academy to tighten her preparations for the upcoming 2022 Southeast Asian Games to be held in Hanoi, Vietnam.