Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala entered the W60 Hamburg in Germany with confidence as she reached her highest rank at the Women’s Tennis Association at No. 248.
The 17-year-old scholar of the Rafael Nadal Academy moved up four places in the latest WTA rankings after participating in two professional contests after her 2022 US Open triumph.
Eala reached the second round of W60 Templeton where she lost to Katarzyna Kawa of Poland, 2-6, 6-4, 6-0, last 30 September.
At the W80 Rancho Santa Fe, the three-time Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist also bowed to Marcela Zacarias of Mexico, 6-2, 7-5, last 8 October after going through the qualifying round.
Filipino-Canadian Leylah Fernandez dipped anew at 41st place while Iga Swiatek of Poland remains the top women’s tennis player in the world.
This will be Eala’s first tournament in Hamburg and she faces Ekaterina Kazionova of Russia in the first round of the main draw.
The 23-year-old Kazionova is ranked lower than Eala at No. 292.
“It’s my first time in Hamburg and I’m glad to be playing this W60 Tournament,” Eala said in a social media post.
The scholar of the Rafael Nadal Academy has only won two titles so far in her professional career: the W15 Manacor in Spain last year and the W25 Chiang Rai in Thailand last April.
“I would say that my 2022 season has been pretty good. It has not been perfect, but I am happy with the improvements so far,” Eala said in her blog.
“I am now ranked within the top 300 although I know I can do better.”