It's an early challenge for Alex Eala at the 2025 Italian Open, taking on the higher-ranked Marta Kostyuk at the Round of 128.
Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala opens her Internazionali BNL d’Italia campaign with a tough assignment as she faces world no. 27 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine in the Round of 128.
The match is pegged for 11:20 p.m. Wednesday (PH time).
Fresh off achieving a new career-high ranking of world no. 70, the 19-year-old Eala enters Rome with growing confidence and form, holding a 16-10 win-loss record in 2025—slightly better than Kostyuk’s 14-10 mark this year.
But the 22-year-old Kostyuk poses a serious threat. The Ukrainian recently reached the quarterfinals in Madrid, where she pushed eventual champion and world no. 1 Aryna Sabalenka to two tiebreak sets.
Earlier this season, Kostyuk also made it to the Round of 16 in Miami, where she fell to Jessica Pegula—the same opponent who halted Eala’s surprise semifinal run in that tournament.
This first-ever meeting between the two rising stars offers a compelling contrast in styles and stakes.
For Eala, it’s a chance to build momentum on clay and continue climbing the rankings ahead of her Grand Slam debut at Roland Garros.
For Kostyuk, it's about consistency and reasserting her place among the tour's elite.
The winner advances to the Round of 64 and edges closer to a potential showdown with top-seeded Sabalenka, who looms large in this side of the draw.
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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.]