Alex Eala has broken her own record once again ahead of Cincinnati Open

Alex Eala, one of tennis' fastest rising stars, has broken multiple records during an extraordinary 2026 - and she has added another to her list before turning out at the Cincinnati Open.

On August 3, Eala became the first Filipina to win a WTA singles title at the Washington Open, a 500 event, prevailing 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 against Jessica Pegula in the final.

The 21-year-old was then beaten 6-4, 6-0 by Switzerland's 2020 Olympic gold medallist Belinda Bencic in the last 16 of the Canadian Open.

Iga Swiatek was victorious at that tournament in Toronto, and she made a surprise call-out to Eala after adding a 25th WTA singles title to her incredible trophy cabinet.

All eyes are now on how Eala performs at the Cincinnati Open, beginning the tournament in the round of 64 against Elena-Gabriela Ruse on Saturday (August 15) after being awarded a first-round bye.

To add a second title to her resume, though, the Filipina will need to navigate through a potentially challenging draw. A win over Ruse this weekend could see her come against 10th-ranked and two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova in the round of 32.

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A showdown with Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova is then a possibility in the last 16, should she overcome her opening two matches, with Noskova winning their two previous meetings.

Most importantly, the action in Cincinnati is seen as a chance for Eala to warm up for the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open, where the youngster is likely to arrive with a career-high world ranking.

That is already the case as she heads into the 1000 event, as she's risen from 20th in the world to 18th, moving above Ekaterina Alexandrova and Jasmine Paolini.

As per the WTA live rankings, Eala is only 18 points behind 17th-ranked Sorana Cîrstea at the time of writing (August 15), as she continues to edge closer to the top 16.

Alex Eala is relishing the pressure to perform

Eala ended 2025 as the world number 53, making her rise in the rankings all the more impressive.

The Filipina has received almost unparalleled levels of support during her run at the Canadian Open earlier this month.

Her Wednesday night session against Alycia Parks sold out within hours of her schedule being announced, and one of the vendors at the arena in Toronto changed one of their food offerings to cater to Eala's huge Filipino following.

Eala has even been congratulated by the Philippines' most iconic sports star, Manny Pacquiao, after winning the Washington Open, and this level of pressure on her young shoulders is something she's relishing.

"I think it can be both. There are moments where it's heavy. There are moments where it's fun,” she said in a press conference.

“But at the end of the day, I am also aware that it's a crazy experience, so I'm just trying to take it all in. I know also that I wouldn't be having these experiences if I didn't do all the work that I did beforehand. So I know that I won't continue to experience it if I don't continue that work.”

The 2005-born star added that these experiences have helped her "develop as a person," and she hopes to continue her upward momentum in Cincinnati.