For those who have followed Alex Eala even before she turned pro, they know never to count her out despite the odds. While she, like any athlete, has faced her fair share of stumbles, Eala rises to the occasion when it matters. And after what has been an eventful past couple of months on the tour, she proves yet again why she is where she is with her recent career achievement in the WTA rankings.
RELATED: Alex Eala’s Latest Achievement? Being the Highest-Ranking Southeast Asian Player in History
Alex Eala Climbs to World No. 17
On November 2, the Women’s Tennis Association revealed its latest rankings, which featured Eala landing at World No. 17 with 2,289 points. It marked an increase of two spots from the last update when she stood at No. 19, and a spot above her previous peak of No. 18 in August 2026.
Not only does this make it a career-high ranking she’s achieved so far on the WTA, but Eala also continues her reign as the highest-ranking Southeast Asian in history, a record she broke last August. Also, she’s wedged between two other notable athletes of Asian descent in the sport, with Leylah Fernandez just before Eala at No. 18 and Naomi Osaka above her at No. 16.
The achievement isn’t that much of a surprise for Eala at this point, considering how she entered the season at World No. 50 and has had a year that’s nothing short of a breakthrough. But it also comes at a time when some have doubted Eala’s ability to perform following a string of losses.
It began with her bronze medal finish at the 2026 Asian Games that some saw as disappointing since they expected her to get the gold. What followed were early exits from the Wuhan and Singapore Open. Eala did make it to the round of 16 at the Ningbo Open, where she was bested by Diana Shnaider, who also ended Eala’s Pan Pacific Open run during their quarterfinal match. So, Eala improving on her WTA ranking isn’t just a figurative clapback to her naysayers, but the negative comments in themselves feel wholly misplaced.
Criticising Eala for a string of underperformance hides the fact that every athlete, even legends like Serena Williams, all had their bad days, weeks, months, and even seasons. Athletes in the Top 10 of Women’s Tennis can and eventually will lose, as Eala has proven before with her victories against some of the best players in the world. Tennis can only have one winner, so losing is naturally part of the game. Eala’s early exits and underperformance aren’t a sign that she is a bad athlete or perceived as lacking ability and skill, but that she was just bested at the moment.
Like any great athlete, Eala has used her defeats and difficult stretches as fuel to get better at her game. No athlete is perfect, a point EJ Obiena reminded people of when he took to Instagram to defend Eala from all the hate she’s been getting. Support should never be conditional, and assuming otherwise is not how sports should be. Harping on athletes, especially those who are already under immense pressure like Eala, for losing does no good.
As Obiena wrote, “Asking if Alex’s string of losses suggests she has failed is the wrong question (or for any national athlete, for that matter, yours truly included). There is no such thing as failure in attempting, and in sports, there are good days and bad days, and some days you win and some days you lose, which is what gives sport its beauty and toughness.” He added, “If you want to help Alex, me, or any athlete, pick us up when we are down. Harsh comments are not the support that helps us return stronger.”
Athletes are still people at the end of the day, and as long as Eala continues to show up even when she’s down, then that’s more than worthy of applause. Speaking of showing up, the Filipina athlete is set to end her Asian swing with one last competition in the region this season at the Hong Kong Open as the No. 2 seed. She began her campaign with a win against Emerson Jones on November 3, securing her spot in the round of 16.
Featured Image: ALEX EALA (via Instagram), Photo by Hiroshi Satoh
Photos: ALEX EALA (via Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions
Alex Eala is ranked World No. 17 on the WTA singles tour with 2,289 points, according to the rankings released on November 2. It is a career high, up two spots from No. 19 and one above her previous peak of No. 18 in August 2026.
Yes. Alex Eala is the highest-ranking Southeast Asian player in WTA history, a record she broke in August. Her World No. 17 ranking, released November 2, extends that record and improves on her previous peak of No. 18, after she entered the 2026 season ranked World No. 50.
In the November 2 WTA rankings, Alex Eala at World No. 17 sits between two Asian players: Naomi Osaka at No. 16 and Leylah Fernandez at No. 18. The ranking is a career high for Eala, who rose two spots from No. 19.
Eala’s late-season results included a bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games, early exits at the Wuhan and Singapore Opens, and a round-of-16 loss at the Ningbo Open to Diana Shnaider, who also ended her Pan Pacific Open run in the quarterfinals. She still reached a career-high ranking.
Alex Eala plays the Hong Kong Open next, her last competition in the region this season and the end of her Asian swing. She opens her campaign against Alycia Parks on November 3. The tournament follows her climb to a career-high World No. 17 in the WTA rankings.
