Grand Slam doors open up for Eala

MANILA, Philippines — A star was born in Miami and her name is Alexandra Eala.

Eala, at a young age of 19 from the humble nation of the Philippines, became the biggest headline in the stacked Miami Open, save for a twist that her story has just got started.

The lefty wunderkind did not only serve a flurry of firsts for her career and for the Philippines but for the entire tennis world, announcing a roaring arrival to the international scene among the sports’ big guns, icons and champions as a mere wildcard at that.

Ranked No. 140 in the current Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) list, Eala is projected to hit No. 75 next week. That will open bigger doors for her – starting at the French Open this summer.

Eala barging into the Top 100 means a direct entry into every main draw of masters and major tournaments, including Roland Garros, Wimbledon, Australian Open and the US Open, as long as she stays inside the elite circle.

Previously, Eala only got to play in these tournaments through a wildcard invite and only in the qualification rounds, where she fell short all the time.

Well, not anymore with the Filipina teen sensation assuring herself of an automatic main draw seat starting in the Roland Garros on May 25 to June 8 in Paris, France.

She’s also eligible for direct invite at Wimbledon and US Open later this year after a first-round exit in the Australian Open qualifiers last January, when she was just lurking at the Top 150

By then, Eala would become the first Filipina player ever to play in the main draw of any Grand Slam tourney on the heels of being the first to beat three Grand Slam champions.