Eala scales new career-best ranking of No. 143 in WTA

ALEX EALA is now among the Top 150 players in the world of tennis.

In a historic leap, Ms. Eala netted a new career-best ranking of No. 143 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) after a rare twin-title feat in Spain.

Ms. Eala jumped 12 places from a previous career-high at No. 155 last week. Prior to that, she only got high as No. 157 last May before finally breaching the Top 150.

The Filipina sensation started at No. 1180 upon her entry to the women’s circuit in 2020 when she was at the peak of her junior career, where she rose as high as No. 2 in the world rankings. She also jumped 37 places in the doubles now at No. 208 from No. 245 last week.

There’s no stopping Ms. Eala in the women’s arena this time around after reigning supreme in both the singles and doubles tournaments of the elite W100 Vitoria-Gasteiz in Spain over the weekend.

Ms. Eala, 19, first bagged the doubles title with long-time partner Estelle Cascino of France following a 6-3, 2-6, 10-4 win over Bulgaria’s Lia Karatancheva and Latvia’s Diana Marcinkevica in the final.

It’s the third pro doubles title for Ms. Eala and she all won it this year. She and Ms. Cascino also won the W75 Croissy-Beaubourg in France last March while Ms. Eala partnered with Latvia’s Darja Semenistaja in winning the W50 Pune in India last January.

Later on,  the No. 5 seed Ms. Eala completed the twin feat by drubbing No. 7 seed Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra, 6-4, 6-4, for her fifth pro singles crown without a single set allowed in a perfect campaign.

Ms. Kasintseva, coincidentally, was the former world No. 1 player in the girls’ circuit just ahead of Ms. Eala before their encounter in the women’s play this time. — John Bryan Ulanday