Tennis: Alex Eala rises to world No. 17
Filipina tennis star Alex Eala in action against Thailand’s Patcharin Cheapchandej in the women’s singles round-of-16 in the 2026 Asian Games, in Nagoya, Japan on September 28, 2026. POC MediaMANILA — Filipina tennis star Alex Eala reached a new career-high of No. 17 in the WTA rankings after making it to the quarterfinals of the 2026 Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo.
Eala now has 2,289 points, rising two places to maintain her spot inside the top 20.
The Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) celebrated Eala’s latest feat on social media, calling it “a huge achievement” for the Filipina star.
“Tuloy-tuloy ang pag-angat,” the federation said.
Elena Rybakina remains world No. 1, with Aryna Sabalenka and Mirra Andreeva completing the top three.
The 21-year-old Eala is set to compete next in Hong Kong.
“I’m super excited, and I’m going in with high motivation,” Eala said.
— with Agence France-Presse