Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala is all pumped up to compete in the main draw of the French Open from 25 May to 8 July, thanks to her new Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) ranking of No. 73.
The 19-year-old prodigy said she couldn’t wait to make it as she will be able to face the best tennis players in the world without going through the qualifying rounds.
Eala is currently at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, Spain preparing for the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal from 14 to 20 April.
“I’m excited for the Grand Slams ahead, Roland Garros. I know that I will be in the main draw. So I’m very excited about that,” Eala said.
“This is my first time to be in the main draw. So it’s a new experience and everything to gain.”
Making it to the main draw of the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the year, will be a full circle moment for Eala.
In 2021, Eala joined forces with Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia as they won the French Open girls doubles crown as they pulled off a 6–0, 7–5 victory over Russian netter Maria Bondarenko and Amarissa Kiara Tóth of Hungary.
Back in 2024, the three-time Junior Grand Slam champion almost made it to the main draw of the French Open but lost to Julia Riera of Argentina, 6-4, 6-7, 4-6, in the third qualifying round.
Eala said repeating her magical run in the Miami Open will be easier said than done but playing in various WTA tournaments will help her get comfortable in facing the top players frequently.
Before going to the Miami Open, Eala will compete in the Mutua Madrid Open in Spain from 22 April to 4 May, the Internazionali BNL d’Italia in Rome from 5 to 11 May, and the Parma Ladies Open in Italy from 12 to 17 May.
“For me, the biggest learning is that even the top players have weaknesses and they’re not perfect. Of course, when you see that they’ve won so many things, and of course, it can depend on what kind of moment they’re in in their career,” Eala said.
“But there’s always a way. There’s always a point to push and if I believe in myself, then I know that I’m able to push those points.”