MASON, Ohio — Alex Eala will receive a first-round bye at the Cincinnati Open after rising to No. 20 in the world, giving the 21-year-old Filipino her first chance to enter a WTA 1000 tournament without qualifying or relying on a wild card.
Eala, seeded 17th at the tournament, will face either Poland’s Magda Linette or Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round at the Lindner Family Tennis Center.
The bye gives Eala additional rest after a busy two weeks that included her first WTA Tour title at the Mubadala DC Open and a run to the round of 16 at the National Bank Open in Toronto.
Belinda Bencic ended Eala’s seven-match winning streak in Toronto with a straight-sets victory. Eala had previously won the Washington, D.C., tournament to claim her first WTA title.
Eala’s rise in the rankings has changed her position on the WTA Tour. Before earning seeded status, she often needed a wild card or had to go through qualifying to reach the main draw of top tournaments.
Her growing profile has also drawn strong support from Filipino communities abroad. Tournament organizers in Toronto moved Eala to the center court after increased ticket demand.
“As we say, I’ve come far, but I have still farther to go,” Eala said.
American star Coco Gauff has also recognized Eala’s impact on the tour, particularly her ability to attract Filipino fans to tournaments.
“I like that Alex brings a whole new demographic [to the WTA] tour,” Gauff said in an interview.
Gauff also noted the strong crowd support for Eala after defeating her, 6-0, 6-2, in Dubai in February.
Eala is placed in the third section of the Cincinnati draw, which includes Jessica Pegula, the player she defeated in the Mubadala DC Open final.
Czech player Linda Noskova also sits in Eala’s section of the draw. Noskova reached the Wimbledon final before losing to her countrywoman and later exited the National Bank Open in the second round.