Alex Eala’s run at Madrid Open ends in close battle vs. world No. 30

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In what appeared to be a gripping match at the Madrid Open on Thursday, April 25, Filipino tennis sensation Alex Eala faced off against world No. 30 Sorana Cirstea in an intense second-round showdown.

Despite her valiant effort, the Rafa Nadal Academy student ultimately succumbed to Cirstea’s prowess, absorbing a hard-fought 6-3, 6-7 (8), 6-4 loss.

The match was a rollercoaster of emotions and certainly anyone’s game as the Romanian tennis player clinched the first set, but the 18-year-old tennis prodigy rallied back, displaying her tenacity by claiming the second set.

Eala found herself trailing 3-5 in the second set before mounting an impressive comeback, forcing a tiebreak where she survived a match point and secured the set 7-6.

However, Eala was unable to maintain her momentum in the decisive third set, conceding the match to her two-time Grand Slam quarterfinalist opponent, who posed the toughest challenge of her career thus far.

A win against Cirstea could have paved the way for a potential dream match with world No. 1 Iga Swiatek of Poland. Swiatek faced China’s Wang Xiyu at the time of Eala’s match with a 6-1, 6-4 win.

But a day before the tennis clash with the world No. 30, Eala achieved a significant milestone by securing her biggest professional career win over world No. 41 Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine. The prior victory marked her first triumph against a top 50 player in a Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 event.

In an Instagram post, she shared, “Third time’s the charm. A first round win here in @mutuamadridopen!! First WTA1000 main draw win hehe. Vamoss! Pumped to go back for round”

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Ranked at No. 169 globally, Eala’s remarkable and determined performance at the Mutua Madrid Open is primed to elevate her ranking even further. Recently, the emerging tennis ace achieved a new personal best in the world rankings, ascending three spots higher.

Earlier this year, she also secured a doubles title at the ITF W50 Pune in India, teaming up with former singles opponent turned doubles partner Darja Semenistaja of Latvia.