Alex Eala clinches spot in Australian Open women's qualifiers
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala is set for a much-awaited debut in the tennis' biggest stage, clinching a spot in the 2023 Australian Open for her first women's Grand Slam stint.
A seasoned campaigner in the junior Grand Slam tournaments, Eala on Wednesday secured a spot in the qualifying rounds of the Australian Open slated on January 9-12 in Melbourne.
It's the toughest challenge for the 17-year-old Filipina sensation in her young career so far after stamping her class in the junior scene and slowly scaling the ranks of the women's pro tennis circuit.
Last September, Eala etched history as the first Filipina junior grand slam champion after ruling the prestigious US Open in New York City.
It's also her first singles Slam after reigning supreme in the 2020 Australian Open and the 2021 French Open doubles tournaments with different partners.
"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," the joyful Eala posted on her social media account.
A former world junior No. 2, her stellar title run in the US Open junior championships catapulted her back to No. 37 in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) girls rankings despite a limited action.
In fact, the US Open was Eala's lone junior tourney this year which she still maximized after deciding to focus in the women's division, where she made great leaps owing to a bevy of gallant finishes in Europe and the United States.
A winner of two pro titles in the Spain and Thailand, Eala is now the No. 215 player in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings after starting from outside Top 1000 when she turned pro in 2020.
Her career high was at No. 214 last month following a semifinal finish in the elite W80 Poitiers in France, her first $80,000 tournament.
A scholar of the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain, Eala is tipped to carry that momentum on to her women's Grand Slam debut in the Australian Open, where she copped her first junior doubles Grand Slam with Indonesian pal Priska Madelyn Nugroho.
- Latest
- Trending
