Sourced online by Tracy Cabrera via PFSN
Alex Eala Climbs to Career-High WTA Live Ranking, Moves Up to No. 17 in Finals Race
MANILA, Philippines — Fresh from her breakthrough triumph at the Mubadala DC Open, Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala has surged to a career-high Top 20 in the WTA Live Rankings while climbing to a season-best No. 17 in the WTA Finals Race.
Eala’s remarkable rise came after capturing her first WTA 500 singles title in Washington, D.C., where she rallied past world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the championship match.
The victory boosted the 21-year-old’s ranking points from 1,666 to 2,106, placing her among the world’s elite and strengthening her bid for a coveted spot in the season-ending WTA Finals.
Her championship run was nothing short of extraordinary. Eala defeated a string of accomplished opponents, including Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez, second seed Elina Svitolina, and third seed Naomi Osaka before overcoming top-seeded Pegula in the final.
The 2026 Mubadala DC Open featured one of the tournament’s strongest fields, with top names such as Pegula, Osaka, Venus Williams, Madison Keys, and Svitolina competing as part of the North American hardcourt swing.
Aside from earning 500 valuable ranking points, Eala received the champion’s prize of US$252,000 from the tournament’s total purse of US$1.64 million. Pegula collected US$155,000 as runner-up, while semifinalists Naomi Osaka and Diana Shnaider each took home US$90,900. Quarterfinalists Elina Svitolina, Elisabetta Cocciaretto, Liudmila Samsonova, and Anna Kalinskaya each earned US$47,750.
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