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Alex Eala Upsets Wang, Hits No. 37 – Philippines’ Top Player

5/8/2026

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History

Eala Makes History

Alex Eala beat Wang Xinyu 6-4, 6-3 in the Italian Open second round in Rome, moving to the third round.
The win lifted her ranking from No. 42 to No. 37, making her the highest-ranked Filipina in WTA history.
Earlier she defeated Magdalena Frech 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, after a season-earlier loss to Wang Xinyu in the ASB Classic semifinal, entering the event as a 20-year-old Rafa Nadal Academy graduate ranked No. 42.

Summary

Eala Wins Italian

Alex Eala defeated her opponent 6-4, 6-3 at the WTA 1000 Italian Open on May 8.
The contest lasted 1 hour 23 minutes.
Eala has won five of eight clay-court matches this season, showing a resurgence on the surface.
She previously suffered early exits in her first three clay tournaments of the year.

Summary

Eala Rises

Eala earned 35 ranking points for her first-round win, raising her total to 1,310 and moving her to world No 38.
Her career-high ranking of No 29, set in March, remains her top spot.
She withdrew from the Catalonia Open, a WTA 125 event in La Bisbal d’Emporda, on opening day.
The win set up a second-round match with Wang Xinyu and a possible third-round face-off with No 2 seed Elena Rybakina.

History

Historical Context

In 1995 Kimiko Date became the first Asian woman to enter the WTA top ten, later reaching world No.4 after winning her fourth Japan Open title. Her breakthrough opened a path for Asian players, a trend echoed when 20-year-old Alex Eala of the Philippines, a Rafa Nadal Academy graduate, moved up to No.37 with an Italian Open victory.

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Eala Makes History

Alex Eala beat Wang Xinyu 6-4, 6-3 in the Italian Open second round in Rome, moving to the third round.
The win lifted her ranking from No. 42 to No. 37, making her the highest-ranked Filipina in WTA history.
Earlier she defeated Magdalena Frech 6-0, 3-6, 6-4, after a season-earlier loss to Wang Xinyu in the ASB Classic semifinal, entering the event as a 20-year-old Rafa Nadal Academy graduate ranked No. 42.

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