FILIPINO sensation Alexandra "Alex" Eala rose to career-high No. 88 in the official Women's Tennis Association (WTA) doubles rankings on Monday.
Eala gained 120 ranking points for a total of 888, rising 13 spots from No. 101 two weeks ago and eclipsing her previous high of No. 99 by 11 notches.
She competed in Madrid doubles tournament with Turkish partner Zeynep Sönmez, reaching the second round.
The close friends overcame the Taiwanese-Hungarian pair of Chan Hao-ching and Fanny Stollar in the first round, 6-2, 6-2.
Eala and Sönmez then fell to the eventual champion Czech-American pair of Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend in the round of 16 (second round), 1-6, 5-7.
In the same ranking update, climbed two spots to No. 42 in singles ahead of the WTA 1000 Italian Open.
The Italian Open will run from May 5 to 17.
Ranked No. 44 two weeks ago, Eala is coming off a round of 64 finish at the 1000 Madrid Open, matching last year's finish to retain 35 ranking points for a total of 1,285.
She defeated veteran and 12-time champ Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova of Russia in the first round, 6-3, 6-3.
The lefty netter fell to world No. 21 Elise Mertens of Belgium in the second round, 2-6, 1-6.
After the Italian Open, Eala will next compete at another 1000 event in Italian Open set from May 5 to 17.
Eala, who turns 21 on the May 23, is listed in the qualifying rounds of the 500 Strasbourg Grand Prix Open from May 17 to 23.
Eala will then make her second appearance at Roland Garros from May 24 to June 7.
