Rising tennis star Alexandra Eala is making waves at the Italian Open, and she's bringing an American partner along for the doubles ride. The 20-year-old Filipina sensation kicked off her campaign in style on Wednesday, powering past Poland's Magdalena Frech in a thrilling three-set battle on the iconic Nicola Pietrangeli Stadium court. Eala stormed through the first set 6-0, showed grit to drop the second 3-6, and then dug deep to seal the win 6-4 in the decider. It was a statement performance that sets up a compelling second-round clash with China's Xinyu Wang, a player known for her powerful serve and all-court game.
But the excitement doesn't stop there. In a chat with Filipino media, Eala confirmed she'll also be competing in the women's doubles event, teaming up with American star Hailey Baptiste. "Yes. Well, I signed up (laughing)," Eala told ABS-CBN News. "I signed up with Hailey Baptiste but I don't think the draw came out yet." It's a fresh partnership for Eala, who has been busy on the doubles circuit this season, playing in five tournaments so far in 2024.
Her doubles journey has been a mix of highs and learning experiences. In January, she and fellow youngster Iva Jovic reached the semifinals of the ASB Classic in Auckland before falling to Xu Yifan and Yang Zhaoxuan. Two weeks later, she and Ingrid Gamarra Martins made an early exit at the Australian Open. February saw her team up with Indonesia's Janice Tjen, only to lose in the semifinals to fourth seeds Tereza Mihalíková and Olivia Nicholls. A March return to partnership with Iva Jovic at Indian Wells ended in a first-round loss to Jelena Ostapenko and Hailey Baptiste—yes, the same Baptiste she'll now call a teammate. Most recently, Eala paired with Zeynep Sonmez in Madrid, reaching the second round.
Reflecting on her growth, Eala shared, "I think I've come a long way from last year. So yeah, it really means a lot because I think my team and I have really been working the past few weeks. And I think that we've been able to put out just some things that we've been working on in competition. I'm really proud of myself because there were so many moments, especially in the third set, where she could've gone really far." Her resilience against Frech was a testament to that progress, and she's clearly hungry for more success on both fronts. As she prepares to face Wang, Eala knows the challenge ahead: "She's a great player and a really great person. I think she's super fun to be with."