ALEXANDRA “Alex” Eala has earned the No. 17 seeding in the Cincinnati Open, securing a first-round bye as she continues her impressive rise on the WTA Tour.
Currently ranked a career-high No. 20 in the world, the 21-year-old Filipina will advance directly to the second round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Mason, Ohio. Her opening opponent will be determined during the official draw.
The women’s main draw fires off Thursday, Aug. 13, while the entire tournament—including the qualifying rounds—runs from Aug. 8 to 23.
The Cincinnati Open features an expanded 96-player singles draw, with the top 32 seeds receiving first-round byes.
Eala heads to Cincinnati after reaching the fourth round of the National Bank Open in Toronto, where her campaign ended with a 4-6, 0-6 loss to seasoned Swiss campaigner Belinda Bencic.
Despite the setback, Eala gained valuable matches against elite opposition just days after capturing her first WTA Tour singles championship at the Mubadala DC Open.
The Quezon City native rallied from a set down to defeat top seed and world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the Washington final. The landmark victory made her the first Filipino to win a WTA Tour-level singles crown and propelled her to No. 20 in the world.
Her No. 17 seeding in Cincinnati represents another milestone in a breakthrough season that has established her as a legitimate contender on the women’s tour.
Eala will test herself against another formidable field led by Aryna Sabalenka, Iga Swiatek, Coco Gauff, Elena Rybakina and Naomi Osaka.
The Cincinnati Open will serve as Eala’s final major tune-up before the US Open in New York, where she hopes to carry her strong North American hard-court form onto the Grand Slam stage.