Eala’s rating takes a minor hit

Alex Eala will enter the Berlin Tennis Open full of determination after dropping to No. 35 in the latest Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings released on Monday.

Eala, 20, slipped from No. 33 ahead of her opening match against Donna Vekic of Croatia, who is coming off a title run at the Queen’s Club Championships in London over the weekend.

The 29-year-old Vekic defeated 2021 US Open champion and home favorite Emma Raducanu, 6-0, 7-6, to capture her first WTA 500 title and surge from No. 76 to No. 33 in the rankings.

In the same tournament, Eala fell to Iva Jovic of the United States, 6-2, 6-2, in the Round of 16 last week.

“It’s amazing. It’s been a crazy week, but I really enjoyed every single match — the atmosphere on court was absolutely spectacular,” Vekic said.

“It’s been a great privilege to be able to play on this court.”

On paper, Eala has the edge after defeating the Croatian in the Round of 32 of the Auckland Open in New Zealand last January.

But Eala will have to be wary of Vekic, who now carries plenty of momentum following her triumph at the Queen’s Club Championships.

If Eala prevails, she will face none other than No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the Round of 16.

Rybakina defeated Eala, 6-4, 6-3, in the Round of 32 of the Italian Open last May in their first career meeting.