Alex not fretting over world ranking

Alex Eala isn’t stressing about what could happen to her Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking heading into her grand return to the Miami Open on Friday.

Eala told US-based reporter TJ Manotoc that her stint at the Hard Rock Stadium won’t derail her momentum tennis-wise, as she is happy competing against the best players in the WTA Tour.

The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate, currently ranked at No. 29, will be taking on world No. 53 Laura Natalie Siegemund on Friday.

Siegemund, a two-time Grand Slam mixed doubles champion, defeated world No. 76 Petra Marcinko of Croatia, 6-4, 6-4, last Wednesday and earned the right to face Eala.

If Eala wins her match, she could head to a possible collision course with world No. 3 Iga Swiatek of Poland.

Anything less than a return to the semifinal would result in Eala taking a massive dip in her WTA rankings.

But for the Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, the rankings don’t fully reflect her progress on the court.

“I think, no matter what happens this week, I think I’ll be happy. I’ve been doing really well this past year and I’m fortunate enough to come into this Miami (Open) in a different circumstance than last year,” Eala said.

“The whole tour is not dependent on one tournament. This started it all for me and I’d love, love, love to do it again (but) we never know.”

“I’m happy to be here and happy to compete and be healthy.”

Even if Eala drops in the WTA rankings, she will remain within the Top 100, enough to earn main draw spots in major competitions without going through a qualifying round or a wild card.

Eala said fans can expect her to give her best as she will treat each match as a championship round.

“They can definitely expect my fighting spirit. They can expect me giving my best,” Eala said.