Atin Ito First Filipino Community Newspaper in Ontario
MANILA, Philippines – After yet another stellar year, Alex Eala is set to start the next season in the big stage when she dukes it out in the 2024 Australian Open in Melbourne.
The 18-year-old Filipina wunderkind netted a ticket in the qualifying draw of the season’s first tennis major tourney, according to the updated list Thursday.
The qualifying draw is set on January 8 while the main draw, where Eala hopes to be in, is slated on January 14-28.
It’s the second straight pro women’s Grand Slam stint for Eala in the Australian Open after her debut last year when she bowed to Japan’s Misaki Doi in the opener of the qualifying rounds.
This time, she’s hoping to ride on a banner year highlighted by two titles in the W25 Yecla in Spain and W25 Roehampton in England as well as a two-bronze medal harvest in her Asian Games debut.
Eala’s win in the Asiad in Hangzhou, China, marked the Philippines’ 17-year medal drought.
A graduate of the Rafael Nadal Academy, Eala also rose to a career-best ranking in the Women’s Tennis Association at No. 189 before settling to No. 190 to end the season.
That should be enough motivation and preparation for Eala to perform better in the Australian Open, which she previously ruled the girls’ doubles event in the 2020 edition with Indonesian pal Priska Madelyn Nugroho.
Eala, the former world No. 2 junior player, is expected to slug it out in the qualifying rounds against an elite cast of counterparts led by 2021 US Open champion Emma Raducanu.
In the main draw, men’s world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and top-ranked women’s player Iga Swiatek headline the cast with world No. 2 and reigning champion Aryna Sabalenka, as well as US open champion Coco Gauff.
Also in the fray are returning veterans and major winners Rafael Nadal, Naomi Osaka and Angelique Kerber. — John Bryan Ulanday
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Credit belongs to: www.philstar.com
