The moment of truth has finally arrived for Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala as she battles a dangerous foe in world No. 100 Alycia Parks of the United States in the opening round of the Australian Open main draw on Monday morning at Court 6 of Melbourne Park.
The 20-year-old Eala is expected to show up in her 9:40 a.m. match oozing with momentum after climbing to her career-best ranking of No. 49, with a Southeast Asian Games gold medal hanging around her neck.
She also capped her Australian Open buildup with a title in the Kooyong Classic and the prestigious co-Athletes of the Year honor with Olympic double gold medalist Carlos Yulo of gymnastics from the Philippine Sportswriters Association, giving her a huge morale boost heading into one of the four most important tournaments in professional tennis.
Eala’s best Grand Slam performance came when she defeated world No. 14 Clara Tauson of Denmark in the opening round of the US Open in September last year. Should she beat the 25-year-old Parks, she would match that feat while putting herself in position to achieve her best Grand Slam finish ever — a feat no Filipina netter has accomplished.
Eala knows what’s in store for her, but instead of getting intimidated, she feels pumped up and ready to embrace both the challenge and the pressure.
“I feel great. I’m actually super excited,” said Eala, who had a forgettable journey in the Australian Open last year after falling to Jana Fett of Croatia, 5-7, 2-6, in the qualifying round.
Now that her ranking has soared into the top 50, Eala no longer has to undergo the qualifiers and can focus on competing in the main draw.
“Coming in as a main draw player gives a different vibe, especially with the struggles I’ve had in the past getting here. I’m super excited and coming in full force.”
But the 25-year-old Parks will not be an easy foe.
The 6-foot-1 netter from Georgia has what it takes to pull off an upset. In the previous edition of the Australian Open, she posted wins over Sara Bejlek of the Czech Republic and Leylah Fernandez of Canada before bowing to fellow American Coco Gauff in the third round.
She also reached the second round of the French Open and Wimbledon before making an early exit in the US Open last year. Her career-best ranking is No. 40, achieved after winning the Lyon Open in 2023.
Parks is also known as a heavy hitter, sharing the record for the fastest female serve in history with Venus Williams at 129 miles per hour.
Eala, however, remains defiant. While she aims to perform at her best, she noted that an early exit would still assure her of P5.9 million, while giving her a chance to return home for the Philippine Women’s Open at the newly refurbished Rizal Memorial Tennis Center from 26 to 31 January.
The Filipina stressed that while she is confident, she is also managing expectations given the depth of competition at the Australian Open. She has been playing non-stop against other Women’s Tennis Association players at Melbourne Park to build momentum ahead of the season’s first Grand Slam.
“It was great for confidence and to get matches in. It always helps before Grand Slams. I’m confident with how I’m playing, but that doesn’t mean the matches won’t be tough here. I’m ready for anything,” said Eala, who also made a semifinal run in the Auckland Open before beating Donna Vekic of Croatia to win the Kooyong Classic.
Observers also spotted her trading shots with world No. 3 Coco Gauff, her former partner in the Italian Open, as well as fellow Southeast Asian Mananchaya Sawangkaew of Thailand, who will launch her Australian Open bid against Emma Raducanu of Great Britain.
“There are a lot of Filipinos in this part of the world, but the turnout this year has grown significantly compared to past years. I’m really happy to see the environment. People are excited when I’m on court, and it makes me feel very welcome,” Eala said.