Alex Eala will be facing the most formidable opening-round opponent when the Wimbledon Championships get going on Monday at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London.

Standing in Eala’s way to progress is defending champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic.

Eala, 20, will have to be at her best after the draws for the third Grand Slam of the year were revealed last Friday (Manila time).

Krejcikova, No. 17 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings, is a two-time Grand Slam women’s singles champion, winning the French Open in 2021 and the Wimbledon crown last year.

The Czech was also a seven-time Grand Slam women’s doubles champion and a three-time Australian Open mixed doubles champion.

The 29-year-old Krejcikova from the historic town of Ivancice was also an Olympic gold medalist after she and Katerina Siniakova defeated Belinda Bencic and Viktorija Golubic, 7-5, 6-1, in the final of the Tokyo Summer Games in 2021.

Eala entered the main draw of the Wimbledon Championships this year thanks to her No. 74 ranking in the WTA.

Patience and composure will be key traits for Eala as she continues to be more accustomed to playing on grass courts.

The 20-year-old Eala said after her 6-1, 6-2 win over Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine in the quarterfinal of the Eastbourne Open last Thursday that how she handles herself on the court will be a huge factor.

Eala is facing Varvara Gracheva of France at press time.

“I think more than anything, it’s just the mentality. Of course, with these great players and tough conditions, it could be hard to balance that patience and the will to go for the ball, so I think I did that well throughout the whole week,” Eala said.

“I’m only 20, but it’s a long road already, although it’s only the start of my career. I have a lot of experience getting to know myself, so I think that’s a big part of how I handle myself on court.”

Eala, currently at No. 74 of the Women’s Tennis Association, has so far joined three other grass competitions, the Birmingham Open, Ilkley Open, and the Nottingham Open, to help her get used to grass.