The Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) has put Alex Eala at the top of its August honor roll, a week after her first US Open third round, Journal News reports.
The PSA cited her title at the WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open in Washington. It was her first WTA Tour title and the first tour-level singles title by a Filipino. She beat Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina and Naomi Osaka, then Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the final.
The win lifted the 21-year-old to a career-high No. 18. Per the PSA, that makes her the highest-ranked Southeast Asian in WTA history, past the No. 19 marks of Indonesia's Yayuk Basuki (1997) and Thailand's Tamarine Tanasugarn (2002). Pole vaulter EJ Obiena, a friend of Eala's, also made the August roll.
In New York, Eala beat Mary Stoiana 6-1, 6-2 and Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-1, 6-4. Iva Jovic, a friend, then edged her 7-5, 3-6, 7-5 in a three-hour match on Arthur Ashe Stadium last weekend — Saturday night in New York, Sunday in the Philippines.
This week on CBS Mornings, she spoke with Gayle King, Nate Burleson and Norah O'Donnell.
"It definitely comes with pressure. But the life of a competitive athlete comes with pressure. And I think pressure is a privilege," she said, GMA News reports. She credited the line to Billie Jean King, Philstar reports.
"I'm here. I'm in New York. I'm competing in the US Open. I'm from Manila. And, you know, a dream is only a dream until it becomes a reality," she added.
Next up is the WTA 500 Singapore Tennis Open, which kicks off her Asian swing, before the Asian Games.
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