Growing stronger with each challenge, Ireala defeats TOP 10 players three times and reclaims the title of Southeast Asia's top female player.

Typically, TOP 10 players represent a formidable challenge for those ranked lower, and defeating them is no easy feat. Yet exceptions exist. There is a tennis player whose career win rate against TOP 10 competitors exceeds 50%. Not only that, but even when she loses, she always secures at least one set against these top-ranked opponents. Who is this player, and in which tournaments has she defeated TOP 10 players? Today, this article will take you through her story.

This player is Ireala from the Philippines. In 2022, she won the US Open junior title without dropping a set, becoming the first Filipino to claim a Grand Slam junior championship. Previously, she had also won doubles titles at the Australian Open and French Open junior events.

In mid-March 2025, with a wildcard entry, she defeated American player Voronets in the first round of the WTA1000 Miami Open. In the second round, she beat Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko from Latvia in straight sets, marking her first career victory over a TOP 30 player and her first consecutive wins at a WTA1000 event.

In the third round, she faced American player Jessica Kessy, who had just won her first Grand Slam title. Perhaps boosted by confidence, Ireala showed no mercy to this TOP 10 opponent, sweeping her 6–4, 6–2 to claim her first win against a TOP 10 player. Later, due to the withdrawal of Spanish player Badosa, she advanced to the quarterfinals by walkover.

In the quarterfinals, Ireala faced Polish player Iga Swiatek, a three-time French Open champion. Against this TOP 10 player, Ireala chose to fight fiercely, winning 6–2, 7–5 for her second career victory over a TOP 10 opponent. Although she lost in the semifinals to American TOP 10 player Jessica Pegula, after dropping the first set, she pushed her opponent to a deciding set, a performance worthy of respect despite the defeat.

At the end of April, after a commanding first-round win over Bulgarian player Tomova at the WTA1000 Madrid Open, Ireala met Swiatek for the second time. After losing the first set 4–6, she bounced back 6–4 to force a deciding set. Although she didn’t prevail in the final set, she proved she was no fleeting talent. That year, Ireala also started from qualifying at the WTA250 Eastbourne event in late June, winning six consecutive matches to reach her first career tour final.

Meanwhile, Indonesian player Zeng Limi also performed impressively that year, winning six consecutive titles between May and June, boosting her world ranking by nearly 200 spots. Later, she won her first 125-level title at the Jinan Challenger in mid-October and secured her first career tour title at the Chennai Open at the end of October. This week, she defeated Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska and Canada’s Leylah Fernandez at the WTA1000 Dubai Open, surpassing Ireala in the world rankings to become the new Southeast Asia’s top female player.

In response, at the WTA1000 Dubai Open, Ireala took the first set 6–4 in the opening round. Early in the second set, with Ireala trailing, American player Danielle Collins retired due to injury. In the second round, Ireala faced Italian player Martina Paolini, who had twice reached Grand Slam finals. Ireala played excellently, winning in straight sets for her third career victory over a TOP 10 player.

In the third round, she defeated Romanian player Ana Bogdan, reaching the WTA1000 quarterfinals for the second time in her career and reclaiming the position as Southeast Asia’s number one. With five encounters against TOP 10 players, three wins, and two losses where she pushed her opponents to deciding sets, Ireala has proven her strength. Tonight, she will face two-time Grand Slam champion Coco Gauff. Can Ireala create another miracle? Let’s wait and see. That’s today’s tennis story; stay tuned for more tomorrow.(Source: Tennis Home, Author: Yixin Jushi)