Alex Eala has enjoyed a monumental ranking rise over the last few months, thanks to her brilliant performances over the summer.
Eala started the year just inside the top 50 of the rankings, but a brilliant grass court swing and a terrific start to the North American hardcourt season have helped her achieve a boom.
Her victory at the Washington Open, which saw her beat Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, and Jessica Pegula consecutively, helped her become the new world No 20.
She has an outside chance of reaching the WTA Finals as a result, depending on how she performs at the upcoming Cincinnati Open and US Open.
Her former coach, Karl Santamaria, who coached Eala for the Philippines national team, believes she has all the tools to reach the top eight of the rankings before the WTA Finals.
More Alex Eala news
Speaking to The Daily Tribune, Santamaria said: “She still has a lot of potential to even go higher if she does really well here in Toronto and in Cincinnati, which are both Masters 1000, and of course, the US Open.
“If she can make it there, her spot will really be cemented and she can possibly be inside the top 10. It’s within reach that she can get inside the top eight at the end of the year.”
Eala currently sits at number 15 in the race for the WTA Finals, which is a brilliant achievement for how low-ranked she was at the beginning of the year.
She is currently on 1997 points in the race for the WTA Finals, 1687 points behind Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, who currently occupies the final spot.
That means Eala will likely need deep runs at both the Cincinnati Open and the US Open to keep in touch with the chasing pack, and she will need to continue to be consistent on the Asian swing.
The Filipina star has looked tired in recent weeks, with Eala having played more matches than any other WTA star, so it could be difficult for the 21-year-old to keep in touch over the last three months of the season.
Nevertheless, it’s mightily impressive for Eala to even be in this position in just her second season on the WTA Tour.
With a WTA title now under her belt, the Filipina is showing all the ingredients of being one of the most promising rising stars to crack the top 10 of the rankings.
Whether that happens before the WTA Finals or not, Eala will undoubtedly join the elite in the very near future.
