Alexandra "Alex" Eala enters the WTA 1000 Cincinnati Open with her highest seeding ever at the WTA 1000 level, as the 21-year-old Filipina begins her final preparations for the US Open.

Seeded No. 17, Ms. Eala received a first-round bye at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, giving her an extra day to prepare. She is expected to return to action on Friday, depending on the first-round schedule, and will face either Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse (WTA No. 77) or Poland's Magda Linette (WTA No. 68) in the Round of 64.

Neither opponent offers a straightforward matchup. Ms. Eala is 0-1 against Ms. Ruse, having fallen 6-3, 1-6, 4-6 in the 2024 US Open qualifiers. Her record against Ms. Linette stands at 2-2 — she lost their first two meetings at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Open (6-7, 1-6) and the 2025 Nottingham Open (4-6, 3-6) before earning victories at the ASB Classic in Auckland (6-3, 6-2) and the Miami Open (6-3, 7-6) this year.

Ranked No. 20 in the world, Ms. Eala moved up in the seedings following the withdrawal of several higher-ranked players, including No. 6 Karolina Muchova of Czechia, No. 12 Victoria Mboko of Canada, and No. 15 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, all of whom are recovering from injuries.

The adjusted draw gives her a clearer opening, but the field remains deep, with seeded players still clustered through the later rounds. Analyst projections suggest world No. 10 Amanda Anisimova of the United States could await in the third round, with No. 7 Linda Noskova of Czechia — seeking a rebound after an early exit in Toronto — potentially looming in the fourth round. Seeded players further down the bracket include world No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the United States in the quarterfinals, No. 8 Iga Swiatek of Poland in the semifinals, and world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the final.

Ms. Eala arrives in Cincinnati seeking her second professional title and first at the WTA 1000 level. She captured her maiden WTA Tour crown earlier this month at the WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C., launching her US Open preparations on a high note.

The US Open is scheduled for Aug. 30 to Sept. 13 at Flushing Meadows, New York, making Cincinnati one of the final high-level tuneups before the year's last Grand Slam. Following her Round of 16 finish at the WTA 1000 National Bank Open in Toronto, Ms. Eala has nearly a week to recover from a minor ankle injury and recharge. Her Toronto campaign was preceded by seven consecutive victories dating back to D.C. — the longest winning streak of her career and, at the time, the longest active streak among players on the WTA Tour.

In a social media post on Thursday after departing Toronto, Ms. Eala expressed gratitude for the support she received:

"Ang saya pala dito sa Barangay Toronto. Difficult to put into words but very easy to be grateful for you all."

"Feeling the love in ways that I will probably only fully appreciate later. Thank you for allowing me to experience beyond what I know. I am quite the lucky one."

Ms. Eala is expected to draw strong crowd support in Cincinnati, continuing the pattern of enthusiastic backing she has received in every city on her recent run.

— John Bryan Ulanday