TENNIS

Eala draws lower-ranked foe in French Open debut

Ivan Suing · May 23, 2025, 5:16 PM

Alex Eala marches to her first-ever French Open women's singles match as the favorite. — Photograph courtesy of Alex Eala/FB

For a change, Filipino tennis star Alex Eala walks in as a favorite as she makes her debut in the French Open on Sunday at the Roland Garros Stadium.

World Tennis Association (WTA) No. 69 Eala, who celebrated her 20th birthday last Friday, drew 88^th-ranked Colombian Emiliana Arango in the first round.

Eala earned her outright ticket to the season’s second Grand Slam tournament after a semifinal appearance in the Miami Open last March. Her stunning run in the tournament included a huge upset over then-world no. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, 6-2, 7-5, in the quarterfinal.

The French Open has been a crucial part of Eala’s tennis career.

Eala won her second Junior Grand Slam title in the 2021 edition when she joined forces with Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia.

In last year’s French Open, Eala almost made it to the main draw but was eliminated in the third qualifying round after a 6-4, 6-7, 4-6 defeat against Julia Riera of Argentina.