Eala jumps to new career-high ranking of No. 49 ahead of AO

AN EXPLOSIVE New Year it is for Alexandra “Alex” Eala.

Relentless in her drive to the top, Ms. Eala zoomed to a new career-high ranking of No. 49 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) to start her 2026 campaign with a bang ahead of an even bigger tourney that is the Australian Open (AO) this week.

Ms. Eala leapt four spots from No. 53 with 1,159 points, thanks to a semifinal finish at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand over the weekend.

The 20-year-old Filipina reset her previous career-best placing at No. 50 last month to end a stellar 2025 campaign and set the perfect springboard for new heights this year.

“The past year reminded me how powerful love, support, and community can be. Now, I’m excited for what this new year brings — new goals to chase, new memories to create, and more meaningful moments to share with the people I love,” posted Ms. Eala, the first Filipina ever to achieve the said feat.

“This year is about being braver, dreaming bigger, loving harder, and doing more for the people and passions that matter most.”

Ms. Eala started the year with 1,076 points but gained 83 more points in quick fashion following a solid run in Auckland that included wins against three Top 80 players.

As the No. 4 seed, Ms. Eala beat then WTA No. 69 Donna Vekic, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 and WTA No. 82 Petra Marcinko of Croatia, 6-0, 6-2, as well as WTA No. 52 Magda Linette of Poland, 6-3, 6-2.

She ended her campaign in the semifinals with a close 7-5, 5-7, 4-6 defeat to China’s Wang Xinyu, who climbed 14 spots to No. 43 after a runner-up finish to now No. 12 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, 6-3, 7-6 (8-6).

With a new feather in her cap, Ms. Eala turns her focus to the Kooyong Classic, a two-day exclusive by-invite only exhibition tournament in Melbourne starting on Tuesday.

Her familiar foe in Ms. Vekic, a 2024 Wimbledon semifinalist and Paris Olympics silver medalist, is also in the fray, along with WTA No. 121 and home bet Priscilla Hon and the 42-year-old legend Daniela Hantuchova, a multiple Grand Slam mixed doubles champion from Slovakia.

Then comes the big stage of the AO also in Melbourne, playing in the Grand Slam main draw for the first time ever after multiple qualifying round stints and junior doubles crown feat with Indonesian Priska Madelyn Nugroho in 2020.

The AO remains as the only Grand Slam main draw she has not played in after the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, where she became the first Filipina winner at that stage after stunning then world No. 15 Clara Tauson of Denmark. — John Bryan Ulanday