Alex Eala returns to action for the 2025 Italian Open, another WTA 1000 event on clay.
Filipina tennis star Alex Eala will make her Italian Open debut on Wednesday, May 7, as she takes on world no. 27 Marta Kostyuk in the first round of the WTA 1000 tournament in Rome.
Coming off a solid run in Madrid and a breakout semifinal appearance in Miami, the 19-year-old Eala is out to continue her rise on the clay courts of the Foro Italico.
The match will be a stern early test for Eala, who opted to skip the Catalonia tournament to focus on her preparation for this high-stakes event.
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Kostyuk, a former world no. 16, enters the match brimming with confidence following a quarterfinal finish at the Madrid Open, where she pushed world no. 1 and eventual winner Aryna Sabalenka to the limit in two tiebreak sets, 7-6(4), 7-6(7).
Eala, meanwhile, put up a spirited fight in Madrid as well, forcing world no. 2 Iga Swiatek into three sets before bowing out in the Round of 64, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6.
Should Eala pull off the upset, she could set up intriguing future clashes—including a possible faceoff with Canada’s Leylah Fernandez, who shares Filipino roots, and potentially a showdown with Sabalenka herself in the later rounds.
Poised and prepared, Eala will look to build on her recent success and prove once again that she belongs among the sport’s rising elite. The match is slated to start at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow (PH time).
(With reports from Luisa Morales)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]