Eala draws lower-ranked foe in French Open debut

For a change, Filipino tennis star Alex Eala walks in as a favorite as she makes her debut in the French Open on Sunday at the Roland Garros Stadium.

World Tennis Association (WTA) No. 69 Eala, who celebrated her 20th birthday last Friday, drew 88th-ranked Colombian Emiliana Arango in the first round.

Eala earned her outright ticket to the season’s second Grand Slam tournament after a semifinal appearance in the Miami Open last March.

Her stunning run in the tournament included a huge upset over then-world no. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, 6-2, 7-5, in the quarterfinal.

Eala’s sudden rise has turned her into one of the promising tennis talents.

“This is all new to me. I’ve had a sudden improvement and it’s put my name out there. I’m trying to get used to everything and to feel professional,” Eala said.

The French Open has been a crucial part of Eala’s tennis career.

Eala won her second Junior Grand Slam title in the 2021 edition when she joined forces with Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia.

In last year’s French Open, Eala almost made it to the main draw but was eliminated in the third qualifying round after a 6-4, 6-7, 4-6 defeat against Julia Riera of Argentina.

The Rafael Nadal Academy graduate is looking to rebound after an early exit in the Italian Open singles in Rome after absorbing a 0-6, 1-6 loss to Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine.

Eala had better luck in the women’s doubles, teaming up with American Coco Gauff.

The tandem made it as far as the quarterfinal. They lost 5-7, 6-3 (7-10) to defending champion and home bets Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini.