Alexandra Eala has enjoyed a strong start to her 2026 season, having reached the semifinals of the ASB Classic.
Elina Svitolina clinched the ASB Classic title in Auckland, winning her final against Wang Xinyu, who knocked out Eala.
The 20-year-old was the fourth seed at the WTA 250 tournament, but was beaten 7-5, 5-7, 4-6 by seventh seed Wang.
Still, she can be really proud of her efforts in Auckland, where she also reached the doubles semifinals alongside fellow young star Iva Jovic.
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Alexandra Eala earns career-high rank ahead of Australian Open debut
Eala and Jovic beat Venus Williams and Svitolina in their opener, while the Filipino ace beat the likes of Donna Vekic and Magda Linette in singles.
Thanks to her efforts, the rising star has now risen to number 49 in the WTA Tour rankings, which represents a career-high.
It is a fantastic achievement from the 20-year-old, and one that should provide her with a massive confidence boost at such a key stage of the season.
The Australian Open is rapidly approaching, with Eala now set to enter the hard-court tournament on a real high.
She has featured at the French Open, Wimbledon and the US Open, but is now set to make her Australian Open main draw debut.
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Alexandra Eala’s entire WTA rankings history
Eala has achieved fine success in her brief career on the WTA Tour so far, typified by her rapid rankings rise.
She claimed a WTA 125 title at Guadalajara in the 2025 season, during which she also reached the Eastbourne final.
But her finest efforts undoubtedly arrived in Miami, where the wildcard beat Iga Swiatek and Madison Keys before a semifinal loss to Jessica Pegula.
| Top rank by year | Year-end ranking | |
| 49 | 2026 | – |
| 50 | 2025 | 50 |
| 143 | 2024 | 158 |
| 189 | 2023 | 205 |
| 214 | 2022 | 219 |
| 505 | 2021 | 529 |
| 1180 | 2020 | – |
In her first Grand Slam season, she suffered first round exits at the French Open and Wimbledon, before reaching the US Open second round.
She did attempt to qualify for the Australian Open main draw in 2023, 2024 and 2025, but fell short every time.
Even with an unflattering record, Eala will still likely pose a threat in Melbourne, where the top players will certainly want to avoid her early on.
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