Defining moment

Alex Eala’s new career-best No. 18 ranking is more than a personal milestone for the Filipina star — it also raises the ceiling of Southeast Asian tennis.

The 21-year-old Eala’s latest ranking surpassed the previous best mark by a Southeast Asian woman, with Thailand’s Tamarine Tanasugarn reaching No. 19 in 2002. Indonesia’s Yayuk Basuki also climbed to No. 19 in 1997.

Eala’s historic rise comes at an opportune time as she prepares for a packed schedule leading into the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the year.

The Filipina star will already be in action on 27 August when she faces world No. 14 Iva Jovic of the United States in the Stars of the Open exhibition event.

She will then team up with men’s world No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada in the mixed doubles competition.

The pair will face Ukrainian world No. 9 Elina Svitolina and her French husband, Gael Monfils.

Eala enters New York brimming with confidence after a productive North American swing that saw her capture her first WTA title at the Washington Open earlier this month with a victory over world No. 3 Jessica Pegula.

Although she failed to add another trophy in the Canadian Open and Cincinnati Open, Eala still gained valuable experience while managing the physical demands of a busy stretch.

Her coach, Joan Bosch, believes the Filipino support waiting for Eala in New York could once again provide a significant boost.

“The court in Toronto was full every day when she was playing. For us, it is even though sometimes scary, because it’s tough to always have the best level,” Bosch said.

“This was a tough week for Alex because she won Washington, she played the final on Monday, and we just travelled on Tuesday. It was not easy to handle. I am happy that she could do a good two matches in the first two matches.”

But while Eala’s No. 18 ranking gives her a more favorable position heading into the US Open draw, Bosch insists rankings are not the priority.

For the Spanish mentor, continued improvement remains the bigger objective.

“The goal is always to be better than the year before, and if you do that, most probably your ranking will be almost the same or better,” Bosch said.

Eala shares the same philosophy, refusing to put too much stock in her recent success despite becoming one of the WTA Tour’s fastest-rising players.

The Filipina knows the momentum from Washington, Toronto and Cincinnati will only matter if she can translate it into results in New York.

“Momentum is a thing, I guess, but it's not concrete and it doesn't give you any 100 percent answers. A lot of matches can help with your confidence, but it doesn't guarantee anything,” Eala said.

“I think at the end of the day, it's the same lines, it's the same size ball. When you're on court and you know what you have to do, nothing changes much.”