Alexandra Eala, a nightmare for the top 10

There are statistics that explain better than any ranking the potential of a tennis player. Alexandra Eala is still taking her first steps in the elite of the WTA tour, but her results against the best in the world already position her as one of the most dangerous players at the moment. 

The Filipino has an impressive record of nine wins and four losses against top10 rivals, a record achievable by very few players of her generation and proof that she can already compete on equal footing with the top favorites on the tour. Her latest victim has been Jessica Pegula, world No. 3, whom she defeated this week to win the biggest title of her career and raise her count of victories against top10 players to nine.

This win came after a final marked by a long rain delay. "I think I warmed up a thousand times. It was difficult, but rain delays have happened to me many times throughout my life. Even though this time there was much more at stake, I was able to take my time, learn from the first part of the match, and apply those lessons in the second. I think it worked quite well," the Filipino explained after the match on the WTA website.

It all started last season with a victory over Madison Keys, then world No. 5. Later, she achieved prestigious victories against Iga Swiatek (twice), Jasmine Paolini, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina, Elina Svitolina on two occasions, and now, Jessica Pegula. She has also suffered four losses against top10 players, but what stands out most is her ability to respond and evolve. Both Gauff and Rybakina managed to defeat her before Eala found a way to prevail in subsequent encounters.

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Eala herself admitted that she never imagined such a brilliant week. "At the beginning of the tournament, there was no way to think that I would end up holding this trophy. These are moments that arrive little by little, and I keep them very close to me," she confessed. The Filipino also highlighted the difficulty of the path she has traveled: "The draw was a very steep mountain. I knew the level of the tournament was very high and that my path would be very tough. Each match presented different obstacles, and I am very proud to have overcome them."

Alexandra Eala, when will we see her reach the top10?

Beyond the title, the feeling is that Eala continues to grow by leaps and bounds. "I think I finished the tournament playing better than I started. In each match, I improved and learned things about myself. All the work I do off the court and in training is starting to be reflected in the matches, and that gives me a lot of confidence," she assured.

At just 21 years old, the student of the Rafa Nadal Academy has already demonstrated that she is not intimidated by the big names. Her spectacular record of 9-4 against top10 players confirms that she belongs to the competitive elite of women's tennis and reinforces the feeling that her ceiling is still a long way off. Each victory against one of the best in the world fuels a reality that forces us to imagine her, sooner rather than later, in that select group where only ten names fit.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Alexandra Eala, una pesadilla para el top10