PARIS, France — Filipina tennis rising star Alexandra “Alex” Eala endured a gut-wrenching opening-round exit at the Internationaux de Strasbourg, but is quickly turning heartbreak into motivation as she sets her sights on a bigger stage — the French Open.
Eala looked in control early, taking the first set 6-3 against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova. But the momentum suddenly flipped as the Ukrainian qualifier dug deep, clawing her way back into the match with relentless shot-making and composure under pressure.
What followed was a tense, exhausting battle that stretched beyond two and a half hours. Oliynykova seized control of the second set 7-5 before sealing the comeback with a decisive third-set win, 6-3, leaving the young Filipina on the wrong side of a dramatic turnaround.
Despite the defeat, Eala still walked away with €17,310 (over ₱1.2 million) in prize money, a consolation in an otherwise painful outing.
Now, there’s no time to dwell.
With Roland-Garros just days away, the 20-year-old is immediately shifting gears toward preparation for the clay-court Grand Slam in Paris, where she will compete in both singles and doubles. She is also set to team up with Canadian world No. 9 Victoria Mboko in the doubles draw.
Eala, who turns 21 on May 23, continues to rise in the rankings despite the setback, climbing to No. 35 in the WTA live standings and holding No. 38 in the official list after several shifts among competitors.
The Filipina standout is expected to return straight to training, determined to tighten her game and mount a stronger, sharper challenge on one of tennis’ biggest stages.
Sourced online by Samantha Yu/ia
