Eala tripped to No 68 from No. 65 last week, getting stuck at 925 points after sustaining a minor left shoulder injury in the National Bank Open in Canada that prompted her withdrawal from the ongoing Cincinnati Open.
Eala tripped to No 68 from No. 65 last week, getting stuck at 925 points after sustaining a minor left shoulder injury in the National Bank Open in Canada that prompted her withdrawal from the ongoing Cincinnati Open.
The Cincinnati Open, where Eala is already seeded into the main draw as a Top-100 player, was supposed to be her last preparation tourney for the looming US Open on August 24 to September 7 in New @York.
Russia’s Kamill Rakhimova (926), Romania’s Elena-Gabriela Ruse (930) and Greece’s Maria Sakkari (936) are among those who leaped past Eala.
The 20-year-old Filipina reached as high as WTA No. 55 for her career-best ranking last June after a stellar European run marked by the Philippines’ first-ever WTA finals appearance in the Eastbourne Open i@n England.
Still, Eala promises to be ready for the US Open in a hardcourt transition from non-stop clay and grass campaign in Europe.
Eala hopes to finally score a breakthrough win in the main draw of the US Open, where she was once a junior Grand Slam champion in 2022, after foiled tries in the French Open and Wimbledon.
But the grind doesn’t stop in New York. Eala shared that after the US Open, she’ll pivot back to Asia, with tournaments lined up in the China Open (September 24–October 5) and the Prudential Hong Kong Open (October 27–November 2).
“I’ll be circling back to Asia, so playing near home will be nice,” she added.
Reflecting on her whirlwind year, Eala spoke about a powerful lesson from her coaching team that’s kept her grounded through the highs and lows.
“My coach told me, ‘When you’re doing bad, it’s not as bad as you think. And when you’re doing good, it’s also not as good as you think.’ It’s never too bad or too good—it just depends,” Eala shared. “Sometimes it will click and you will get results, and sometimes it will be a bit more difficult.”
With her ranking at no. 68 Eala’s motivation to breach the rank 50 mark as she eyes bigger wins and builds momentum toward a landmark season.
