Alex Eala to reach career-high ranking despite Hong Kong Open final loss
Claire Liu concluded Alexandra Eala’s participation in the Hong Kong Open.
The American competitor, hailing from Thousand Oaks in California, secured a 6-3, 6-0 win at Victoria Park Centre Court in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, by winning nine straight games.
Eala faced difficulties with her service during the match, managing to land only 47 percent of her first serves and converting just 40 percent of her second-serve points.
Nevertheless, it would be unjust to criticize the young Filipina too severely, given her significant achievements on the WTA Tour this year.
Eala is poised to add another milestone to her record, even after her defeat in Sunday’s final.
Alex Eala is preparing for her debut in the top 15.
Eala can now feel greater pride regarding her breakthrough campaign on the WTA circuit.
The 20-year-old, who claimed her first WTA Tour title in Washington in August, will earn 103 ranking points from her run to the Hong Kong final.
As a result, Eala will climb two spots in the WTA rankings, surpassing Sorana Cirstea, who has since retired from professional play, and Naomi Osaka.
Eala will attain a career-high ranking of world number 15 after the rankings update on Monday.
| 13 | Iva Jovic | 2941 |
| 14 | Elise Mertens | 2540 |
| 15 | Alexandra Eala | 2392 |
| 16 | Sorana Cîrstea | 2386 |
| 17 | Naomi Osaka | 2315 |
The updated WTA rankings following the Hong Kong Open.
Eala has now entered the top 16, enhancing her prospects for a strong performance at the 2027 Australian Open.
Receiving a top 16 seed at a Grand Slam offers a significant advantage, as players seeded 16 and higher are assured not to encounter another top-16 seed until at least the fourth round.
Since Australian Open seeds are determined six weeks prior to the tournament, Eala is virtually certain to be a top 16 seed for the 2027 Australian Open.
How did Alex Eala perform at the 2025 Hong Kong Open?
At the 2025 Hong Kong Open, Eala progressed to the second round after Katie Boulter retired during their first-round match at 6-4, 2-1.
Victoria Mboko, the eventual champion, defeated Eala in the second round with a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.
Notably, Mboko fell behind 1-4 in the final set before winning five consecutive games to take the match.
“She’s such a sweet girl and we have so many great memories together off the court,” Mboko said of Eala after the contest. “We’ll go and get bubble tea together, we do the most wholesome things together.”
