Eala sets sights on Asian swing
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala will utilize her breakthrough WTA title in Mexico as a springboard to more crowns for the taking as she shifts her campaign in multiple Asian tourneys.
“Trophy appreciation post before I start the Asian swing,” beamed Eala Friday, looking back to her glory in the WTA125 Guadalajara Open in Mexico earlier this month.
The 20-year-old Filipina pride is currently back home to recharge with family and friends before embarking on an Asian campaign starting with the WTA125 Jingshan Openi in China on September 22.
After that, she’s also seeded in the WTA125 Suzhou Open from September 29 to October 5 before the big game in the Hong Kong Open from October 27 to November 2 after her entry announcement Friday.
The Hong Kong Open is a WTA250 level tourney, similar to the Sao Paulo Open in Brazil where Eala reached the second round.
Eala tallied seven straight wins in the Americas, marked by five alone in Guadalajara to become the first-ever Filipina WTA champion.
She’s also fresh from a breakthrough in the US Open as the first Filipina winner in any Grand Slam main draw history, which proved enough in her return inside the Top 60 WTA rankings.
Eala’s impressive American tour propelled her to WTA No. 57, one rank shy of her previous career-best at No. 56 following a runner-up finish in the Eastbourne Open in England last June.
The lefty ace is hoping to finally crack inside the Top 50 for the rest of the WTA Tour with also a possibility of donning national colors again in the 33rd Southeast Asian Games this December in Thailand after winning three bronze medals in the 2022 Hanoi SEA Games.
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