Eala drops in world ranking

The world ranking of Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala took a dip in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) after her failed bid to make the US Open main draw last week.

In the latest ratings, the 19-year-old is now listed at No. 153 from her previous position at No. 148.

This is the third straight time the two-time Asian Games bronze medalist fell short of making it into a Grand Slam main draw this year.

In the US Open, Eala won against No. 180 Maddison Inglis of Australia, 6-3, 2-6, 6-1, and No. 99 Nuria Parrizas Diaz of Spain, 7-5, 7-5, in her first two qualifying matches.

But against No. 61 Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania in the final qualifying match, Eala lost, 6-3, 1-6, 4-6.

This has been deja vu for Eala as she suffered the same finish in the French Open and Wimbledon Championships this year.

Still, Eala chooses to be upbeat as she takes in the lessons she learned from her past competitions.

“I want to thank everyone who watched and cheered me earlier, either in person or on the livestream. Thank you especially to my family, to the people who missed work, and to those who traveled far just to watch my game,” Eala said.

Eala also had a chance to meet tennis legend Billie Jean King over the weekend during her stay in New York City.

“Thank you for participating in Billie Jean King Power Hour and sharing your excitement about being a part of the WTA. We look forward to seeing you achieve your full potential,” wrote King and the WTA Player Development team.