Alex Eala set for Grand Slam debut in Roland Garros this May

April 27 ------ JUST in time for her 20th birthday, Filipina teen tennis sensation Alex Eala is set to make her first-ever Grand Slam main draw appearance this May 2025, as she officially qualifies for the Roland Garros French Open Women’s Singles. 

The 19-year-old, currently ranked WTA No. 72, earned direct entry into the prestigious tournament as one of the perks of being a top-100 female player. Headlining the competition are some of the world’s biggest names, including World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, No. 2 Iga Swiatek of Poland, and American No. 3 Jessica Pegula—two of whom Eala has already faced on court. 

Eala, then ranked No. 140 and competing as a wildcard, shocked World No. 2 Swiatek in the Miami Open quarterfinals before narrowly falling to Pegula in the semifinals. Aryna Sabalenka later defeated Pegula in the final to claim the W1000 title. She made history as the first Filipina to reach a WTA semifinal and the first to defeat three Grand Slam champions in a single tournament—including two ranked in the world’s Top Five. 

The Rafa Nadal Academy graduate will also celebrate her birthday on May 23, right in the middle of the tournament, which runs from May 19 to June 8, 2025. Before the French Open, however, Eala is set to compete in four more WTA 1000 events in Madrid, Spain, and Rome, Italy. 

Source: spin.ph