Alexandra Eala’s time at the Dubai Tennis Championships was brought to an abrupt end at the hands of Coco Gauff.
Coco Gauff dropped just two games against Eala as she confirmed her place in the semi-finals of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
For Eala, it was another solid tournament display, proving she more than has what it takes to compete at the very top of the sport.
Following her performance in Dubai, Eala has now been gifted a much better chance at her next tournament in Indian Wells.
Alexandra Eala gains seeded entry at Indian Wells
Eala is now the World No. 32, which means she will enter Indian Wells as a seed, giving her the best chance of a favourable draw.
Indian Wells is one of the biggest Masters events on the calendar, and is often considered an unofficial Grand Slam.
The Filipina star has never played Indian Wells before and she will now not have to play another seeded player until the third round at the earliest.
Eala has already proved that she can beat the players around her, having defeated Hailey Baptiste and Jasmine Paolini in Dubai.
The 20-year-old could be set for another exciting time as one of the biggest events on the tennis calendar.
How Alexandra Eala could continue to climb the rankings
Eala continues her run of maiden WTA Tour tournaments at Indian Wells, which gives the Filipina more of a chance to gain much-needed ranking points.
The 20-year-old essentially has a free hit at Indian Wells, where she is not defending any ranking points at the Masters event.
That means a few more wins could consolidate her place inside the top 30 of the rankings for the first time in her career.
The star will need to earn as many points as possible, because she is defending a semi-final appearance at the Miami Open after Indian Wells.
Eala earned 360 points for reaching the final four last year, so she will need to match that otherwise she will take a ranking tumble.