ALEX Eala climbed two rungs in the latest WTA rankings released on Monday, reaching a career-high ahead of her campaign in the Italian Open.
Now ranked No. 70 in the world, the 19-year-old Filipina rising star becomes the youngest Asian in the Top 70, and the second youngest in the world behind only world No. 7 Mirra Andreeva, 18, of Russia.
READ Alex Eala eats, sleeps, and breathes tennis to prove Filipinos can compete globally
Eala has now earned 897 points across 29 WTA tournaments before competing in the WTA 1000 Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome.
The women’s singles qualifying rounds are still ongoing, with the tournament expected to release its official main draw in the coming days.
Among the notable names joining the tournament are the world's top players, namely No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Swiatek, No. 3 Coco Gauff, and No. 4 Jessica Pegula, among others.
Two of them are familiar opponents to Eala, having faced them earlier this year in the Madrid Open and Miami Open.
This marks the WTA’s second 1000-level tournament on clay ahead of the Roland Garros French Open later this month.
Eala is also set to celebrate her 20th birthday on May 23.
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