After a morale-boosting performance in the Miami Open, Alex Eala is setting her sights on competing in two Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) tournaments.
The 19-year-old Eala said she will be competing in both the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal from 14 to 20 April and in the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain from 22 April to 4 May.
The world No. 75 netter is coming off a short break following her stellar run in the Miami Open where she defeated some of the Top 100 players, including Australian Open champion Madison Keys of the United States and four-time French Open champion Iga Swiatek of Poland, to make it as far as the semifinal.
Eala eventually bowed out of contention after she suffered a 6-7, 7-5, 3-6 loss to world No. 4 Jessica Pegula.
“So, my next tournament is Portugal and then, I’m going to be in Madrid and a couple other clay tournaments that I have to sort out before Roland Garros,” said Eala, beaming with confidence following a huge jump in her WTA ranking.
“I had to take a few days off to recover. But I’m back on court, fully normal, and everything is fine.”
With Eala’s new ranking, she will be granted direct entry to major tournaments, including the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, from 25 May to 8 June at the famed Roland Garros Stadium in Paris.
Eala, however, gave an assurance that she will be competing in good condition despite suffering a scary fall in her semifinal match against Pegula.
“I’m happy to say that I’m perfectly healthy,” Eala said.
“I did have a bad fall in the second set against Pegula and I guess I am really lucky that it wasn’t because of those types of falls that get you with the trauma injuries.”
“But I’m really lucky that I was able to play the match and that I’m able to continue training.”
Now sitting within the Top 100 of the WTA rankings, Eala is bracing for tougher challenges and new competitions to join starting this year.
But if there is anything that will be constant for Eala regardless of her standing, it would be her dedication in improving her craft.
“In the end, I still have the same work ethic. I’m putting in the same hours just with more results on my back,” Eala said.
“I’ll be in the bigger tournaments, like all the thousands and main draws of Slams which is a big thing for me, to be directly accepted into main draws of Slams.”