Alex Eala has taken her career to new heights this season.
The Filipina star has risen to 20th in the WTA rankings after a fantastic summer of tennis.
During the grass-court season, Eala clinched a WTA 125 title in Birmingham before achieving the best Grand Slam finish of her career so far at Wimbledon by reaching the fourth round.
Alexandra Eala will win __ WTA titles during her career
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She then kicked off her North American hard-court swing by capturing her first tour-level crown in Washington, beating Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka and Jessica Pegula en route.
Along with her success, Eala has brought a new wave of fans to the sport, with stadiums being packed out to see her play on a weekly basis.
Tracy Austin reacts to Alex Eala’s effect on tennis this year
“She’s bringing in a whole new nation that wasn’t necessarily interested in tennis,” said tennis legend Tracy Austin in an interview, as per the Cincinnati Open website.
“Of course, there were already tennis fans in the Philippines, but from when I was in Toronto, there were people in the community who had never watched a tennis match.
“That’s bringing a whole new fan base to our game, which is terrific.
Alexandra Eala will finish 2026 ranked — in the world
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“In Toronto, they had to push her match to the main court because there were apparently 5,000 people that bought tickets just to see her. They weren’t going to fit.
“It’s just Eala-mania. It’s crazy. We want more fans. It’s great, more international. She seems to be very poised, as well.”
Alex Eala’s chance to climb higher in the rankings at the US Open
After reaching the fourth round at the Canadian Open and the third round in Cincinnati, Eala is currently 18th in the WTA live rankings.
She will now have a great chance to rise further up the rankings at the US Open, where she is defending just 70 WTA points.
Eala earned her first win at a Grand Slam at last year’s US Open, but was ultimately knocked out in the second round.
With a high seeding at this season’s edition of the major, Eala looks set to surpass her personal best in New York.
Immediately after the US Open, though, Eala could lose 125 WTA points if she doesn’t defend her Guadalajara Open title.
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