ALEXANDRA Eala achieved a new career milestone after climbing to world No. 29 in the latest rankings of the Women’s Tennis Association just days before she competes in the 2026 Miami Open.
The 20-year-old Filipina star broke into the top 30 following a string of strong performances over the past three months.
Among her notable results were a round-of-16 finish at the Indian Wells Open, a semifinal appearance at the ASB Classic, and a quarterfinal run in the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Her quarterfinal stint in Dubai earned her 215 ranking points, while her campaign in Indian Wells added another 120.
With the new ranking, Eala moved ahead of Cristina Bucșa and Maya Joint, while trailing Marta Kostyuk and Emma Navarro in the standings.
Eala could also be headed for an early rematch with world No. 2 Iga Świątek when the Miami Open main draw begins on Tuesday.
First, Eala must face the winner of the opening-round match between Laura Siegemund and Petra Marčinko. On the other side of the bracket, Świątek is set to meet the winner of the clash between Magda Linette and Varvara Gracheva before a potential showdown with the Filipina.
A meeting between the two would rekindle memories of last year’s tournament, when Eala—then ranked No. 140 and playing as a wildcard—stunned Świątek, 6–2, 7–5, in the quarterfinals of the 2025 Miami Open.
That victory became a defining moment in Eala’s career, highlighted further by her earlier upsets of top-10 players Jelena Ostapenko and Madison Keys during the same remarkable run.
