THANKS to a stirring seven-match winning streak spanning the Abier Zapopan Open in Zapopan, Mexico and the Sao Paulo Open in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Philippine tennis phenom Alex Eala rose four notches to No. 57 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association world ratings released yesterday.
Eala, 20, nearly matched her all-time career high of 56 after capturing her first WTA championship in Mexico, rallying to beat Hungary’s Panna Udvardy 1-6, 7-5, 6-3, and reaching the semifinals of the Sao Paulo Open over the weekend.
In an all-Southeast Asian clash, the pretty Pinay southpaw’s winning streak was snapped by Indonesian upstart Janice Tjen, who scrambled out of a 0-3 hole in the first set to fashion out a straight-set 6-4, 6-1 win in the semifinals at the Maria Esther Bueno Center Court at the Parque Villa-Lobos in the picturesque and rustic Brazilian city.
Tjen, who lost to French teener Tiantsoa Rakotomanga Rajaonah, a left-hander like Eala, 6-3, 6-4 in the Sao Paulo Open finale yesterday, also was a big gainer in the ratings, rising 27 spots to No. 103.
“By beating (Argentina’s Julia) Riera and reaching the quarterfinals of the WTA 250 meet, Eala earned herself 54 ranking points from the tournament, the tennis 356.com website reported.
“The Filipina guaranteed herself at least $4,470 (about $256,128) in winnings by reaching the second round and, thanks to her progression to the last eight, will take home $6,820 (P390,758) in prize money,” it noted.
“Eala has now earned over $880,000 (50,419,599.910) in prize money across the 2025 season to date,” the report added.
