Filipino tennis player Alex Eala has climbed 16 spots to a career-high No. 31 in the latest WTA rankings, following her quarterfinal run at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships. The 20-year-old defeated top-10 player Jasmine Paolini and Sorana Cirstea before falling to Coco Gauff. This marks the first time a Filipino has entered the WTA top 100.
The WTA rankings update on February 23, 2026, highlighted Alex Eala's remarkable progress, propelling the 20-year-old Filipino from No. 47 to No. 31, her best-ever position and the biggest jump among top-50 players. This surge stems from her performance at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, a WTA 1000 event that concluded the Middle East swing.
Eala, who had exited early at the Qatar Open, rebounded in Dubai with consecutive victories. In the second round, she upset world No. 7 Jasmine Paolini of Italy 6-1, 7-6(5), saving two set points in a thriller. She followed with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Romania's Sorana Cirstea in the round of 16, reaching her second WTA 1000 quarterfinal. Her run ended against world No. 4 Coco Gauff, who won 6-0, 6-2. Eala earned 205 ranking points from the tournament.
The Dubai final saw world No. 5 Jessica Pegula defeat No. 9 Elina Svitolina 6-2, 6-4, securing Pegula's fourth WTA 1000 title. Eala's achievement makes her the first Filipino to crack the WTA top 100 since rankings began in 1975. Reflecting on her growth, Eala said after beating Paolini, "As the Miami anniversary comes up, I would be coming up on one year of full, really full, just, WTA tournaments. I think that comes with a lot of learnings, a lot of maturity." She added, "Especially this past year, 2026, has brought me a lot of love and attention from the fans... I make it a point every day to really give my all and be grateful for what I have."
Eala holds a 10-6 singles record in 2026 across six tournaments, with no titles yet. She is set to compete in the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells and the Miami Open next.
