Teen sensation Alex Eala broke into the top 1000 of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings following a string of impressive finishes including winning her first pro title two weeks back.
Eala, 15, jumped from No. 1190 to 942 this week, owing to her title victory in the first leg of the $15,000 ITF Women’s World Tennis Tour event in Manacor, Spain as well as a quarterfinal finish in the second leg.
“It’s a long journey ahead and I will keep on working hard!” Eala wrote on her Facebook account as she shared her latest feat Monday.
Eala has only participated in seven pro events since last year, and is expected to see action in the third leg of the Manacor tilt after being listed as a junior reserve.
Her maiden title actually earned praise from tennis legend Rafa Nadal, who congratulated the PH top junior player through posting a photo of her on his social media account.
A scholar at the Rafa Nadal Academy, Eala aims to join more pro events this year to elevate her skills despite having three years left in the junior circuit.