Alex Eala began the year ranked 148th in the world.
As the WTA season nears its conclusion, she has climbed to 54th, with a chance to rise even higher over the next three weeks.
The 20-year-old reached the semifinals of the WTA 125 Jingshan on September 27, then advanced to the quarterfinals of the WTA 125 Suzhou the following week, before falling in the qualifying round of the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open on October 4.
The early exit in Wuhan provided Eala with a much-needed break ahead of a three-week stretch across two countries, where she will compete in three WTA 250 events.
Japan Women’s Open: Osaka Awaits
Eala resumes action this week at the Japan Women’s Open at the Utsubo Tennis Center in Osaka. The tournament will be headlined by local favorite and former world No. 1, two-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka.
The Filipina awaits a qualifier in the first round.
If she clears that hurdle, her second-round matchup could be intriguing, potentially pitting her against world No. 21 Elise Mertens of Belgium—a former world No. 1 in doubles—or Cristina Bucsa of Spain, who eliminated Eala at the US Open.
Other notable players in the main draw include Eala’s contemporary, second-seeded 20-year-old Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic; 2021 US Open finalist and world No. 27 Leylah Fernandez of Canada; former world No. 3 and Grand Slam semifinalist Maria Sakkari of Greece; and 17-year-old Iva Jovic of the United States, who, ranked 39th, is the youngest player in the top 40.
Guangzhou Open: A Chance for Redemption
After Osaka, Eala travels to China for the Guangzhou Open at the Nansha International Tennis Center from October 20-26.
She will enter as the fifth seed in a field led by Germany’s Tatjana Maria. The two have met four times previously, with Maria winning each encounter in straight sets.
Last June, the 37-year-old Maria became the second-oldest player in history—behind 38-year-old Serena Williams—to win a WTA title, defeating world No. 4 and this year’s Wimbledon and US Open runner-up Amanda Anisimova in the final of the WTA 500 Queen’s Club Championships in London.
Hong Kong Open: Season Finale
Eala will close out her 2025 season at the Hong Kong Open from October 27 to November 2.
She will once again face a formidable field, including Osaka, Fernandez, Bucsa, and Sakkari.
Potential matchups also include two former Grand Slam champions—2021 US Open winner Emma Raducanu of the United Kingdom and 2020 Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin of the United States.
Other notable entrants are 19-year-old world No. 24 and WTA 1000 Canadian Open champion Victoria Mboko of Canada; Eala’s former doubles partner Eva Lys of Germany, ranked a career-high No. 45; world No. 12 Clara Tauson of the Netherlands, who defeated Eala in the opening round of the US Open; and world No. 35 Maya Jovic, the 19-year-old Australian who beat Eala in the final of the WTA 250 Eastbourne Open in June.
