Alex Eala reaches Hong Kong Open final and career-high ranking

Alex Eala reached her second WTA Tour final of the season at the Hong Kong Open after defeating Maria Sakkari 7-5, 3-6, 6-4 in a rain-delayed semifinal at Victoria Park. The match lasted two hours and 43 minutes. Eala broke Sakkari in the opening game and led 3-1 in the first set before the fourth-seeded Greek recovered to 3-3. The pair traded breaks to 5-5, and Eala broke in the 11th game to take the set. Sakkari won the second set with an early break, but Eala recovered from a 4-4 tie in the decider to win 6-4.

In Sunday's final at Victoria Park Centre Court in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong, Claire Liu defeated Eala. The score was tied at 3-3 in the first set before Liu won seven consecutive games to seize control and win the match. Eala landed only 47 percent of her first serves, won 58 percent of first-serve points, and won only 40 percent of second-serve points.

“This season has changed my life. It has changed my life for the better, I am incredibly proud of the work we have put in this year.”

Eala is projected to climb to No. 15 in the next WTA rankings update, a career high and the highest position ever reached by a player from the Philippines. Her live total stands at 2,392 points, ahead of former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka, who holds 2,315 points and will drop provisionally to No. 17. Elise Mertens at No. 14 has 2,540 points, more than Eala can reach at this point. Winning the title would have lifted Eala to 2,479 points while leaving her 15th.

Eala had already passed Osaka after her quarterfinal win over Antonia Ruzic, which took her to No. 16 and a first career-high beyond the No. 17 she held at the start of the week. She will end the season 35 places better than the No. 50 ranking with which she finished 2025. The rankings will only be official once the WTA publishes its updated list.

During her runner-up speech, Eala congratulated Liu and thanked the tournament staff, organisers, physios, and fans. She became tearful when discussing her team and family, saying the 2026 season had changed her life for the better. Eala added that this is only the beginning.

The totals come from live rankings reported during the tournament.