By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala is set for her first-ever professional women’s grand slam tournament after making the cut in the 2023 Australian Open qualifiers.
After years of dominating the juniors level, the Filipina ace is finally ready to take on the best of the best professional tennis players of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA).
Eala will have the chance to compete against the top 10 women tennis players if ever she will advance to the next rounds of the first Grand Slam tourney of 2023.
“Yes! I made the cut for the Qualifying Rounds of the Australian Open 2023 in Melbourne. This will be my first match ever in the pro-level of a Grand Slam,” posted Eala in her social media account.
Only at 17 years old, Eala is already equipped with tons of experience after entering the women’s pro circuit series for one whole year.
Eala was able to turn heads and even barged into the WTA’s top 260 female lawn tennis players after clinching the world no. 252 rank.
The Filipina had a major point boost when she bagged the 2022 US Open Grand Slam Juniors’ singles championship title last September 2022.
Prior to her first-ever Grand Slam singles title, Eala already collected several finalist and semifinalist stints during her past International Tennis Federation (ITF) circuit stints.
Before shocking the world during the US Open, Eala first clinched her international groove during the W25 Chiang Rai tournament held in Thailand.
The Filipina had a stellar campaign in Thailand and was able to reach the semifinals while knocking out two higher-ranked foes in the elimination phase.
Eala then continued her momentum in the Open ITF Arcardis Brezon Osuna in Madrid, Spain and qualified in the grand finals of the prestigious tournament.
Aside from a championship title in Thailand and a runner-up finish in Spain, Eala also notched several quarterfinals and semifinal appearances during the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W25 professional circuit.
