Filipina tennis star Alex Eala enters Strasbourg qualifier ahead of French Open

Alex Eala, the 20‑year‑old Filipina ranked inside the WTA top 40, has been placed in the qualifying draw for the Strasbourg Grand Prix, set to begin on 17 May. Her entry follows a Round‑of‑32 appearance at the Italian Open, where she was defeated by world No. 2 Elena Rybakina, and comes after a clay‑court swing that also included the Stuttgart, Madrid and Rome events. Eala’s recent season highlights feature a quarter‑final at the Dubai Championships, a Round‑of‑16 in both Miami and Indian Wells, and a semifinal run at Auckland’s ASB Classic.

Ahead of the French Open, Eala said she is focused on improving her clay‑court game, acknowledging that “any match can change a lot for you.” She will compete in the women’s doubles at Roland Garros with Canadian No. 9 Victoria Mboko, and aims to return to a ranking as high as No. 38 in the coming weeks. The player emphasizes physical and mental growth over the past year as she prepares for the Grand Slam in Paris.