Alex Eala’s joined the WTA Tour elite thanks to her performances over the summer months, most notably at the Washington Open.
The Filipina star won her first-ever WTA title by defeating Jessica Pegula in the final in a run which also included victories against Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka.
She also enjoyed memorable runs to the Wimbledon fourth round and has most recently made the round of 16 of the Canadian Open, where she was beaten by Belinda Bencic in straight sets.
It’s a testament to Eala’s ability that her recent performances have helped her forged a similar path to world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the last few months.
More Alex Eala news
Alex Eala’s full press conference as she reflects on ‘amazing’ Canadian Open campaign
Alex Eala’s Canadian Open ranking points and prize money after fourth round exit
Eala and Sabalenka have reached the same stage of the tournament in the last four tournaments they have both entered.
When Sabalenka was knocked out of the Italian Open Round of 32 at the hands of Sorana Cirstea, Eala was beaten at the same stage by Elena Rybakina.
Likewise, when Eala produced a memorable run to the Berlin Open semifinals during the grass court swing, Sabalenka also reached the final four of the WTA 500 event.
At Wimbledon, when Eala enjoyed her best-ever run at a Grand Slam by reaching the fourth round, Sabalenka was stunned by Naomi Osaka at SW19.
Both Sabalenka and Eala were knocked out at the round of 16 stage of the Canadian Open too, with the world No 1 losing to Ekaterina Alexandrova and the Filipina star coming undone at the hands of Bencic.
While Sabalenka’s form has dropped in recent months, it should be an example of just how far Eala has come recently that she is matching the performances of one of the most consistent players on the Tour.
Should Eala be able to keep this type of form up, there is absolutely no reason why she can not continue to climb the rankings – and even become a top 10 player.
The star has two major opportunities to earn ranking points coming up next too, at the Cincinnati Open and the US Open.
Eala will make her main draw debut at the Cincinnati Open, meaning she is guaranteed to pick up more ranking points, even if she is beaten in the first round.
At the US Open, meanwhile, the star is defending second round points at the Grand Slam, having beaten Clara Tauson to claim her first-ever Grand Slam victory at the 2025 event.
Eala is currently 240 points away from Alexandrova, who occupies the world No 19 position on the WTA Tour, although that could grow even further should the star continue her progress at the Canadian Open.
The post Alex Eala now shares a remarkable similarity with Aryna Sabalenka after Canadian Open defeat appeared first on Tennis365.
Leave a Reply