Tennis star Alex Eala bounces back with dominant wins in North Carolina

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Following a tough quarterfinal exit at the W100 Landisville tournament, Filipino tennis prodigy Alex Eala swiftly bounced back with an impressive victory in the opening round of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W100 Tournament in Cary, North Carolina.

The Rafa Nadal Academy student triumphed over Argentina’s Julia Riera in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, securing her spot in the Round of 16. Riera has a career-high singles ranking by the WTA of No. 93, achieved just in May 2024.

The Filipina netter, who is eyeing a spot in the main draw of the US Open, displayed her determination on the court. Despite a tight start in the first set, where the players were deadlocked at 2-2, Eala managed to take control by winning three of the next four games, closing out the set at 6-3.

The second set was a breeze for the 19-year-old paddler, as she allowed Riera only one game, finishing the match in just under an hour.

This victory marks an important step in Eala’s preparation for the US Open qualifiers, where she is set to compete for the first time. Her performance in Cary comes on the heels of her quarterfinal appearance at the W100 Landisville tournament, where she faced a tough three-set battle against Olivia Galecki of Australia.

As Eala advanced to the Round of 16 in the North Carolina tournament, she faced Russia’s Oksana Olegovna Selekhmeteva, who achieved a career-high WTA singles ranking of No. 138 in August 2022.

Eala secured another quarterfinal spot by defeating the Russian tennis player in a thrilling match, winning both sets in tie-breaks, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4).

Eala’s recent matches are part of her ongoing journey to break into the higher echelons of women’s tennis. She currently ranks World No. 144 as of Aug. 12.

In July, she achieved a significant milestone in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles rankings, reaching a career-high No. 155. Prior to this, Eala had climbed to No. 157 in May, underscoring her consistent rise in the rankings, which now places her at No. 144.