MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala said the competition will become tougher after she climbed to No. 18 in the WTA rankings, as she prepares to compete in mixed doubles and singles at the US Open in New York.
Eala moved two spots to No. 18 on Monday, reaching the top 20 for the first time in her career. She said the larger gaps between ranking positions mean she will need to work harder to maintain her progress.
“The gap [between ranking spots] is much wider,” Eala said.
At the US Open, Eala will team up with Canadian world No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime in mixed doubles. The pair will face world No. 9 Elina Svitolina and Gaël Monfils on Tuesday morning, Manila time.
Eala and Auger-Aliassime landed in a bracket that also includes mixed doubles top seeds Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic. Sabalenka and Djokovic will open against Canadian-Filipino player Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe.
The winner of that match will advance to the quarterfinals and face either Eala and Auger-Aliassime or Svitolina and Monfils.
The mixed doubles tournament offers Eala additional competitive court time ahead of her singles campaign, which begins Sunday. She is seeking her first Grand Slam singles title.
Auger-Aliassime said competing in mixed doubles could help Eala maintain her competitive rhythm before the singles tournament.
“I think what’s great is [playing in mixed doubles] keeps you in that competitive mindset,” he said in a television interview.
He also said he looked forward to playing alongside Eala and experiencing the support she receives from fans.
“It’s kinda funny because she’s younger than me, but I feel like she has the fan base and she’s carrying the crowd,” Auger-Aliassime said.
The US Open singles draw will take place three days before the main draw begins. Qualifying matches have already started.