Alex Eala seen to reach No. 15 in Women’s Tennis Association world rankings at the end of her season

IT MAY have not ended the way she hoped for but Alexandra “Alex” Eala still landed to territories no Filipino tennis player has ever charted.

And Ms. Eala, at the end of her stellar season, is projected to reach No. 15 in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) world rankings for a new-high not only for Philippine tennis but for the entire Southeast Asian landscape.

That’s despite falling short from netting her second WTA title with a runner-up finish in the WTA 250 Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open over the weekend.

Ms. Eala, still world No. 17 as of writing before WTA’s official ranking update soon, sustained a knee injury in a 3-6, 0-6 defeat to No. 102 Claire Liu of the United States but still raked in 100 points from the entire run to climb the ladder.

She poured it all for her last tourney this season amid the adversity and pain, especially after a series of stumbles in the Asian swing from her banner campaign in the European grass and North American hardcourt legs.

Among those were her first WTA Tour title in Washington, a fourth-round finish in Wimbledon, a second 125-level crown in Birmingham and a third-round campaign in the US Open.

And the 21-year-old Ms. Eala could not be grateful enough, opting to look at the bigger picture than her trips and slides after a historic campaign all year long marked by a bevy of “firsts” for her and Philippine tennis.

“This season has just changed my life. It changed my life for the better,” beamed Ms. Eala in front of a crowd dominated by flag-waving Filipinos at the heart of Hong Kong closer to home.

“I’m incredibly proud of the work we’ve put in this year. And we’re the only ones who truly know what it took to arrive at this point in our journey. This is only the beginning. And this one, like all of them, is ours. Thank you, everyone.”

For now, Ms. Eala will enjoy a much-needed break and recovery to heal her knee injury before resuming preparations for next season, starting with the Australian Open in January.

Ms. Eala will also have a homecoming on Dec. 8 at the Philippine Arena, the world’s biggest indoor arena, featuring an exhibition game against Indonesian top player and close friend Janice Tjen (WTA No. 75). — John Bryan Ulanday