Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala suffers setback as hardcourt swing begins

Dubai: The hardcourt season was supposed to be her moment to shine. But just as Alex Eala begins her US Open build-up, the Filipino star finds herself facing an early challenge — a rankings drop and a first-round clash against a Grand Slam champion.

Eala, 20, has slipped from a career-best No 56 to world No 69 in the latest Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) rankings following a three-week break from competition. The brief pause — which included a homecoming in Manila — came after a gruelling run through the European summer, where she made her debut in the main draws of both the French Open and Wimbledon.

Now back in action at the National Bank Open in Montreal, Eala faces one of the toughest opening-round assignments in the draw: 2023 Wimbledon champion Marketa Vondrousova on Sunday. The Czech left-hander, a former world No 6 and Olympic silver medallist, is currently ranked 65th and brings far more experience to the clash at the IGA Stadium.

For Eala, however, tough draws are nothing new. Earlier this season in Miami, she stunned the tennis world with a sensational run to the semi-finals, knocking out three Grand Slam champions — Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys and then-world No 1 Iga Swiatek — before losing to Jessica Pegula. That breakout propelled her into the top 60 for the first time in her career.

Since then, the former US Open junior champion has continued to make steady progress. In Eastbourne, she reached her first WTA final before narrowly losing in a three-set battle to Australian teenager Maya Joint. At Wimbledon, she faced a brutal first-round test against eventual champion Barbora Krejcikova and went down fighting in straight sets.

The recent break was seen as both a mental and physical recharge after a demanding stretch. But the downside is a dip in momentum and the loss of valuable ranking points, setting up a tougher road in the coming weeks as she builds toward the year’s final Grand Slam.

Montreal will be the first of several tune-ups for Eala, who is expected to feature in Cincinnati before a final stop in Monterrey, Mexico before heading to New York. She’s expected to face top-tier opponents in all three tournaments, including world No 1 Aryna Sabalenka and Grand Slam champions Iga Swiatek and Coco Gauff.

Her goal: secure direct entry into the US Open main draw, scheduled from August 24 to September 7 at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, and prove that Miami was no fluke.

Despite the rankings dip, the Filipino tennis community remains optimistic. At just 20, Eala has shown she has the tools to compete with — and beat — the very best. But the next fortnight will test her ability to handle the grind, rebound from a setback, and navigate a tough schedule in the lead-up to Flushing Meadows.

But for Eala, the coming weeks are about more than just results. “There’s still so much for me to achieve,” she told the media in Manila recently. “Of course, I want my first Grand Slam main draw win. But right now, I just want to enjoy playing on this stage.”

If she finds her rhythm early, another memorable run could be just around the corner. But for now, the focus is firmly on surviving Montreal — and the formidable challenge that awaits in Vondrousova.