Alexandra “Alex” Eala has resumed her competitive schedule after a brief homecoming, shifting focus to the North American hard-court season ahead of next month’s US Open.
The 21-year-old Filipina tennis player departed the country on Monday following a series of fan engagements, preparing for her first US swing at the Mubadala DC Open from July 27 to August 2.
Eala is set to compete in both singles and doubles at the WTA 500 event, reuniting with American veteran Venus Williams in the doubles draw.
The pairing follows a strong grass-court campaign in which Eala and the 46-year-old Williams reached the quarterfinals of the Bad Homburg Open in Germany.
Eala’s grass season included a title in Birmingham and a historic round-of-16 appearance at Wimbledon, making her the first Filipina to win a Grand Slam main-draw match.
She was voted “Star of the Swing” for the grass-court season, securing 89% of the vote in a recent player popularity poll, ahead of Czech players Linda Noskova and Karolina Muchova.
Upon returning home, Eala was honored with a presidential citation and a welcome dinner hosted by the country’s chief executive.
Following the DC Open, she will compete at the National Bank Open in Toronto from August 2 to 13 and the Cincinnati Open from August 13 to 23.
These tournaments serve as preparation for the US Open, scheduled for August 30 to September 13 in Flushing Meadows, New York.
Eala currently holds the No. 29 position in the WTA rankings, down one spot from her career-best No. 28 after a week of inactivity.
Expectations are high for Eala to improve on her second-round US Open result from last year as she continues her historic run on the global stage.
