Alex Eala surges to No. 32 in WTA live rankings after back-to-back upsets in Dubai

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala is riding a massive momentum swing at the Dubai Tennis Championships, climbing to No. 32 in the WTA live rankings after pulling off two statement victories against higher-ranked opponents.

The 20-year-old entered the tournament ranked No. 40 in the world, but briefly slipped to No. 47 in the live rankings earlier in the week due to points movement across the tour. Instead of letting the drop affect her form, Eala responded with the biggest stretch of wins in her young career.

Her surge began with a dominant upset of world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini, where Eala imposed her aggressive baseline game in a 6-1, 7-6 victory. The Filipina controlled the opening set with clean shot-making before showing composure in a tight second-set tiebreak to seal the breakthrough win.

Eala followed it up with another strong performance in the Round of 16, defeating world No. 32 Sorana Cîrstea, 7-5, 6-4. She weathered a mid-match push from the Romanian veteran but stayed steady in crucial service games to close out the straight-sets result. 

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Alex Eala and Coco Gauff will face each other in the quarterfinals of Dubai.

This will be their first tour level meeting.

Rapidly rising star vs the world #4.

Who wins? pic.twitter.com/nDFDXYsg2f

— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) February 18, 2026

The two victories not only propelled Eala into the quarterfinals but also triggered a sharp rise in the live rankings—from outside the Top 45 to No. 32—placing her within striking distance of a new career-high. 

More importantly, the run signals a growing confidence against elite competition. Eala’s ability to beat two Top 35 players in consecutive matches highlights her evolving maturity, improved consistency, and willingness to dictate rallies under pressure.

With momentum on her side and ranking points continuing to stack up, Eala’s Dubai campaign is quickly turning into one of the defining stretches of her transition from rising prospect to legitimate contender on the WTA stage. 

Eala now looks to advance in the Dubai Open semifinals eyeing a win against WTA No.4 Coco Gauff later today. 

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