Alex Eala set for stunning WTA Rankings breakthrough – and things could get even better

Oli Dickson Jefford 02 Oct 2025 10:00 AM

WTA Tour star Alex Eala.

2025 has been a landmark year for WTA rising star Alex Eala, with the 20-year-old soaring up the WTA Rankings – and making plenty of history in the process.

A stunning breakout run at the Miami Open saw her beat three Grand Slam champions — including Iga Swiatek — and break into the world’s top 100, becoming the first woman from the Philippines to crack that milestone in the WTA Rankings.

However, Eala hasn’t stopped there, reaching her first WTA Tour final in Eastbourne, making her French Open and Wimbledon debuts, and becoming the first Filipina to win a Grand Slam singles match on her US Open debut earlier this year.

Now, the 20-year-old looks primed for her latest WTA Rankings milestone amid her campaign at the Suzhou Open — and things could still get better for Eala at the WTA 125 event.

WTA Rankings dream

Eala reached her career-high ranking of world No 56 after her run to the Eastbourne Open final in June, though dropped back outside of the top 70 following a difficult summer.

However, a resurgent Eala is now back inside the top 60 of the WTA Rankings, following her US Open round-one victory, her run to the WTA 125 title in Guadalajara, a quarter-final showing at the Sao Paulo Open, and her semi-final run at WTA 125 Jingshan Tennis Open.

The Filipina is currently at world No 58 in the official WTA Rankings, just two places shy of her career-high achieved three months ago.

However, Eala is now set to break new ground thanks to her run in Suzhou, her second straight WTA 125 campaign in China after action in Jingshan last week.

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Seeded fourth at the WTA 125 event, the Filipina has not had an easy time but has progressed to the last eight, beating Kataryzna Kawa 6-3, 3-6, 7-5 in round one before a 7-6(5), 6-7(3), 7-5 win over Greet Minnen in round two.

Those victories have propelled Eala into a quarter-final against sixth seed Viktorija Golubic on Friday, though the 20-year-old is now set to break new ground in the WTA Rankings.

Her run has put her up 40 points in the WTA Live Rankings to 1,123 points, provisionally moving her up four places to a stunning new career high of 54th in the world.

The only way Eala can be denied a new career-high ranking is if she loses to Golubic on Friday, and then both Yulia Putintseva goes deep in Suzhou and Sonay Kartal wins her China Open quarter-final.

However, they are the only two women who can overtake Eala in the live rankings, meaning the Filipina is set to return to her career-high of 56th at the very least.

Can she crack the top 50?

It is possible for Eala to potentially even crack the top 50 this week, though she would need a couple of things to fall her way.

Firstly, she would need to win the title at the WTA 125 event in Suzhou, with her projected titleist points of 1,221 points enough to see her move to world No 50 with triumph, as things stand.

However, alongside winning the title, she will need to hope that British star Kartal loses her China Open quarter-final, as she will move to 1,259 points if she reaches the last four of the WTA 1000 event.