Filipina star Alex Eala becomes highest-ranked Southeast Asian woman in history

The Philippines' Alex Eala has reached new heights in her tennis career, securing the top ranking among women from Southeast Asia with her ascent to No. 18 in the WTA rankings. At just 21 years old, Eala has now surpassed the previous record of No. 19, jointly held by Indonesia's Yayuk Basuki and Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn. The talented Filipina will be representing her country in the singles and mixed doubles events at the US Open, the fourth and final Grand Slam of the year.

Alongside fellow Canadian player Felix Auger-Aliassime, Eala will face off against the formidable French- Ukrainian duo of Gael Monfils and Elina Svitolina in the mixed doubles draw on Tuesday. Their match-up against the reigning champions will advance them to a potential showdown against either top-seeded pair Aryna Sabalenka and Novak Djokovic or the exciting duo of Leylah Fernandez and Frances Tiafoe.

Eala's successful season is further highlighted by two singles titles, most notably winning the Birmingham Open in June and the Mubadala DC Open in August. Her victory at the Birmingham event marked her as the first Filipino player in history to claim a WTA title. Eala's best performance so far this year came at Wimbledon, where she reached the fourth round, including a notable win over the defending champion Iga Swiatek.