Alex Eala has established herself in the top 20 of the WTA Rankings, but making a leap into the elite top 10 list will not be easy for the Filipina superstar.
Eala has enjoyed a thrilling few weeks of success, with her run to the last-16 at Wimbledon including a memorable win against defending champion Iga Swiatek.
When she backed that up by winning her first WTA Tour title in Washington, Eala’s star status took a huge leap forward.
Now she is set to be a star performer at this year’s US Open, with the prospect of playing in night sessions at the final Grand Slam of 2026 likely to become a reality given her current profile in the sport.
The next big rankings target for Eala will be a place in the top ten, but that will be hard to achieve for the 21-year-old, who will need sustained success to join the sport’s elite list.
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What is her current ranking?
Eala has moved up to No 20 in the current rankings and she is sitting at No 18 in the live rankings after making the third round at the Cincinnati Open.
That is a solid lift for the Filipina, who slipped down into the mid-40s with her ranking earlier this year, with her fine form on grass courts starting her rise.
What’s at stake at the US Open?
For context, Eala’s win in Washington earned her 500 ranking points and if she was to cause a sensation and win the US Open, she would collect a bumper harvest of 2,000 ranking points.
In that scenario, Eala would secure a fast-track route to the top 10 of the WTA Rankings, but a more realistic target may be two or three wins in New York.
A last-16 appearance at the US Open would secure Eala 240 ranking points that would push up towards the top 15 of the rankings for the first time in her career.
A quarter-final appearance would be worth 430 ranking points and there would be 780 points added to her record if she reached the semifinals.
Defeat in the US Open final would see Eala claim 1,3000 ranking points.
What is a realistic target?
Eala was not playing in all the major WTA Tour events this time last year, but she will be on the entry list for all the big events this year and that will ensure she is guaranteed to pick up extra ranking points.
She will play at the WTA 1000 events in Beijing and Wuhan, where she will be a star name for her fans to cheer on.
Eala will also be offered wild cards in any event she wants to play in during that Asian swing of the WTA Tour, with plenty of ranking points on offer at WTA 500 events in Singapore, Ningbo and Tokyo.
At this point, it is unlikely that Eala will qualify for the end-of-season WTA Finals, but that could change if she has a big run at the US Open and enjoys success on the Asian swing on the WTA Tour.
A realistic target for Eala by the end of 2026 could be a top 15 finish, with a push for the top 10 on her agenda next year.
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