Rise continues: Alex Eala now world no. 15
Alexandra Eala reacts to a point against Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova during the WTA Singapore Open Tennis round of 16 in Singapore on September 24, 2026. Roslan Rahman, AFP/FileMANILA — Filipina tennis star Alex Eala continues her rise in the WTA rankings, even after a tough loss to end her season.
Eala is now at No. 15 in the WTA rankings after she reached the final of the 2026 Hong Kong Tennis Open.
This is a new career-high for the 21-year-old Eala, who fell agonizingly short of a second WTA Tour championship with a loss to American Claire Liu in the final in Hong Kong.
Seeded second in the tournament, Eala could not sustain a promising start and appeared hampered by a heavily wrapped right knee. Liu, who entered as world no. 102, took a 6-3, 6-0 win for her first WTA Tour crown.
Despite the defeat, Eala was satisfied with her campaign in 2026, which saw the Filipina win in Washington in August — her maiden title on the tour.
For Eala, starting the year at no. 53 and now being ranked 15th is “incredible.”
“It just makes me so emotional… Just to look back at everything that’s happened this year and wrap it up at 15,” she told Dyan Castillejo of ABS-CBN News after the tournament.
“I mean, these are things that I dream about. To live it out and be in the moment, it’s indescribable,” she added.
Eala is set to return to the Philippines, where she will spend the Christmas holidays. She will also play Indonesia’s Janice Tjen in an exhibition match on December 8 at the Philippine Arena.