Alex Eala drops to No. 45 in WTA rankings

Alex Eala tumbled to No. 45 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings despite a solid Round of 16 run at the Miami Open last week.

The 20-year-old Filipina standout slid 16 notches from a career-high No. 29, underscoring the volatility of her rising campaign after dropping points from last year’s semifinal run at the same event based on WTA’s 52-week ranking system.

At this year’s Miami Open, Eala drew an opening-round bye, then dispatched Laura Siegemund and Magda Linette before bowing to 13th seed Karolina Muchova in straight sets.

Eala looks to regroup as she opens her clay-court campaign next week at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz from April 6 to 12. She is also set to see action at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany on April 13 to 19, where she is expected to go through the qualifying rounds.

The Stuttgart tournament serves as a key build-up to the Madrid Open, which will feature a loaded field bannered by all Top 10 players.

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