Filipino tennis ace Alexandra "Alex" Eala is set for her debut at the WTA 1000 Indian Wells in the United States.
The tournament also known as "the fifth Grand Slam" due to its tournament size (96-player field), and top-rated players mandatory participation from both the WTA and ATP runs from March 4 to 15.
Eala hovering in the 40th to 50th rank at the entry deadline is high enough to give her direct entry to the prestigious tournament.
Officially ranked 47th, Eala last saw action at the Dubai Tennis Championships where she reached the quarterfinals, falling to world no. 4 Coco Gauff, 0-6, 2-6.
Her last eight appearance pushed her to 32nd at the live rankings, a place she will most likely seize once the official rankings updates on Monday.
In an Instagram post Friday, Eala relished her inspired run in Dubai where she drew tremendous support from the Filipino diaspora.
"Three weeks of fighting with love and pride has come to an end here in Dubai. The competition, the atmosphere, the hospitality, and the full-blown support has made these weeks ones I’ll never forget! Thank you," said Eala.
"@sabsantamaria (Sabrina Santamaria) once said, “it’s a privilege to play in front of people who see themselves in you.” I couldn’t agree more. What a privilege it is to do what you love, with love."
Eala's run at the Dubai Tennis Championships which includes an upset of world no. 8 Jasmine Paolini in the second is easily her best since a historic semifinal finish at the Miami Open last year.
As a wildcard entry, Eala reached the semifinals and took down then world no. 5 Madison Keys and no. 2 Iga Swiatek, pushing her from 140th to 75th in the rankings.
This year, Eala gained direct entry at the Miami Open due to her being in the top 50.
The 1000-level tournament will run right after Indian Wells, unfolding from March 17 to 29.
