Eala joins Berlin Tennis Open

Alex Eala packs her bags for Germany after receiving a wildcard entry to the Berlin Tennis Open from 15 to 21 June.

The 21-year-old Eala was initially supposed to enter through the qualifying round before the prestigious Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 500 tournament announced on Thursday that her spot had been upgraded.

Eala, a Rafael Nadal Academy alumna, is coming off a 2-6, 2-6 loss to world No. 19 Iva Jovic of the United States in the Round of 16 of the Queen’s Club Championships in London last Wednesday.

The 18-year-old Jovic said that while the result was a straight-set sweep, going up against Eala was anything but easy, as the Filipina ace was coming off a title conquest in the Birmingham Classic last Sunday.

“Alex is a great player, and I think she loves the grass, having won a title last week, so it was super tough,” Jovic said.

“I think I just hung in there in those close games and was able to distance myself just enough. But definitely, the scoreline doesn’t show how tough it was.”

A star-studded lineup awaits Eala in the German capital, with newly crowned French Open champion Mirra Andreeva bannering the roster.

Also included in the Berlin Tennis Open field are 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu of Great Britain, world No. 1 doubles player Katerina Siniakova, and Nikola Bartunkova of the Czech Republic, whom Eala defeated in the Birmingham Classic final.

No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, former Wimbledon champion Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, No. 4 Jessica Pegula, and No. 7 Coco Gauff of the United States are also confirmed in Eala’s third grass-court tournament of the year.

After her Berlin stint, Eala will remain in Germany for the Bad Homburg Open from 20 to 27 June, where she will team up with 10-time Grand Slam champion Venus Williams.

Her two tournaments in Germany will be her final stops before returning to London for the Wimbledon Championships on 29 June. Ivan Suing