Alex Eala will be stepping into the spotlight of the Indian Wells Open and the Miami Open next week oozing with confidence after rising to world No. 31 in the latest ranking of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).

The 20-year-old superstar will enter the “Sunshine Swing” in the United States with a rested mind and renewed confidence following a successful campaign in the Middle East that saw her leapfrogging 16 notches higher from No. 47 to No. 31.

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus and Iga Swiatek of Poland remain on top spots despite skipping the Dubai Tennis Championships while Australian Open champion Elina Rybakina of Kazakhstan is at No. 3, just one notch ahead of No. 4 Coco Gauff of the United States.

Eala’s fellow Southeast Asian, Janice Tjen of Indonesia, also made a significant leap in the WTA ranking as she now sits on No. 36.

After a successful stint in the WTA 125 Philippine Open at home, Eala competed in the Abu Dhabi Open, where she advanced to the quarterfinals before bowing to world No. 11 Ekaterina Alexandrova of Russia, 3-6, 3-6.

Then, she slowed down in the Qatar Open in which she suffered a shock exit at the hands of world No. 47 Tereza Valentova of Czech Republic, 6-4, 0-1 (retired).

But in Dubai, Eala was at her best.

The rising star from the Philippines got back to her winning ways as she slayed Hailey Baptiste of the US in the Round of 64, 6-0, 4-1; Sorana Cirstea of Romania in the Round of 16, 6-1, 6-4; and world No. 7 Jasmine Paolini of Italy in the Round of 32; 6-1, 7-6, to pull off one of her biggest victories against a top 10 player.

Her luck ran out in the quarterfinals when Gauff delivered a stinging 0-6, 2-6 blow that left her out of the prestigious WTA 1000 event,

Still, it was a mission accomplished as Eala gained 215 ranking points, enough to send her soaring just outside the top 30 among the best women’s professional tennis players in the world.

More than that, she earned the respect of the world, including Gauff, whom she played with in the doubles event of the Italian Open last year.

“I think tennis needs more of this. I think it’s great and just to see a nation so proud of someone, and especially a nation that’s pretty underrepresented in this sport, I think is pretty cool to see,” Gauff said.

“I think that’s something that, you know, you can’t buy. So yeah, I definitely see why people want to root for her. And I root for her even when I’m not playing her, of course.”

Even Jessica Pegula, who won the Dubai crown following a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, couldn’t help but marvel at Eala’s star power at such a young age.

“The way she’s been able to pack stadiums and the way her country supports her is something special. She handles it so maturely, with such grace. She seems so appreciative of all the support she gets. Always seems to have a good head on her shoulders and a good attitude about it,” said Pegula, who defeated Eala, 7-6, 5-7, 3-6, in the semifinal of the Miami Open last year.

“It’s amazing. I played her when she kind of broke out last year in Miami. I’m from there. The whole crowd was against me. I was like, What on earth is going on? Where did these people come from?’”

In the “Sunshine Swing,” which will feature stints in Indian Wells and Miami, Eala is tipped to be at her best as she gets another chance to test her mettle against the best in the world in the back-to-back events that stake 1,000 ranking points to the winners.

“I think I have time now for reassessment, regrouping and taking a small break to build again,” said Eala, who is thrilled to return to the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where she posted some of the biggest victories of her career.

“That’s one of the things that can bridge the gap between myself and those top five players.”