Alex Eala just made history again, and this time it was quieter, a number ticking upward in the rankings while she prepared for the biggest stage of her summer. The Filipina tennis star climbed two spots to a career-high No. 18 in the WTA live rankings, carrying 2,166 points into her Cincinnati Open debut.
Two spots up, all-time high
Fresh off her career-high seeding at Cincinnati, Eala rose from world No. 20 to a new peak of No. 18. The numbers moving in her favor were partly hers and partly mathematical: Jasmine Paolini and Ekaterina Alexandrova lost points from last year’s Cincinnati and Monterrey runs, freeing up room above her.
Paolini slipped to world No. 20 with 2,124 points after a 649-point deduction for reaching last year’s Cincinnati final, while Alexandrova gave up 375 points from a Cincinnati round of 16 and Monterrey final. Eala’s 2,166 points edged her past them both into a new career high.
Ranking beneath the spotlight
The milestone is another notch in a breakout year that has included a first WTA 500 title at the DC Open and a deep Wimbledon run. Eala has acknowledged the weight of the attention, calling the spotlight “heavy” and “fun,” a “crazy experience.” The rise has also drawn comparison to a certain boxing legend, a comparison Eala has politely waved off as still “very, very far”.
Now it counts
Live rankings are provisional until the week’s results lock in, but a career-high No. 18 already puts Eala in elite company and raises her ceiling heading into the US Open. For a player who keeps rewriting the record books, the climb is far from done what matters is what happens on the court, and her Cincinnati opener against Elena-Gabriela Ruse kicks off Saturday night.
