MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tennis star Alex Eala slid seven spots to world No. 47 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings released Monday. The 20-year-old had reached a career-high of No. 40 before a first-round exit at the Qatar Open, where she lost to Czech teen Tereza Valentova, who rose five spots to No. 43.
Eala is currently competing at the Dubai Tennis Championships, where she has advanced to the round of 32. She reached the second round after American Hailey Baptiste retired early in the second set of their round-of-64 match, with Eala leading 6-4, 0-1, due to an injury.
In her next match, Eala faces world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, a former champion of the tournament in 2024, presenting a tough challenge as she seeks to climb back up the rankings.
