Alex Eala slips to No. 47 in WTA rankings

Alexandra "Alex" Eala made a slight dip in her world standing after dropping to No. 47 in the latest Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings on Monday. 

The 20-year-old Filipina tennis sensation slid seven places down after reaching a career-high no. 40 last week following her quarterfinal appearance at the Abu Dhabi Open. 

Eala's new world ranking arrived midway through her campaign at the Dubai Tennis Championships. 

Eala faced Hailey Baptiste in the Round of 64 late Sunday, but secured a walkover victory after the American ace retired early in the second set due to an injury. She will now face a tougher opponent in the next phase as she takes on world no. 8 Jasmine Paolini of Italy in Round of 32.

Eala opened the calendar year at no. 50 then climbed to no. 49 and no. 45 days after before breaching the top 40 last February 9. 

Recap of Eala's 2026 tournaments

• Qatar Open — Round of 64: Eala fell to Valentova, 6(5)-7(8), 1-6
• Abu Dhabi Open — Quarterfinals: Eala lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova, 3-6, 3-6
• Philippine Women’s Open — Quarterfinals: Eala fell to Camila Osorio, 4-6, 4-6
• Australian Open — Round of 128: Eala lost to Alycia Parks, 6-0, 3-6, 2-6
• ASB Classic — Semifinals: Eala fell to Wang Xinyu, 7-5, 5-7, 4-6

—Bea Micaller/JKC, GMA integrated News