Since their semifinal clash at the 2023 Asian Games, Zheng Qinwen has become an Olympic gold medalist, while Alex Eala is now set to make her Grand Slam debut on the clay courts of Paris.
Alex Eala’s Grand Slam debut may come full circle — and full of history.
The 19-year-old Filipina tennis star will face Colombia’s Emiliana Arango in the opening round of the 2025 French Open, as revealed by the main draw released on Thursday, May 22.
But all eyes are already on a potential high-stakes rematch looming in the second round against Olympic gold medalist and Asian Games nemesis Zheng Qinwen of China.
Eala, ranked no. 69 in the world, finally secured a place in a Grand Slam main draw for the first time in her professional career after several near misses in recent years.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala officially included in main entry list of the 2025 French Open]
She enters the Parisian clay-court tilt with high hopes despite suffering early exits in the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal, the Madrid Open, and the Italian Open in her lead-up tournaments.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala improves to world no. 69 in WTA rankings ahead of French Open]
Should Eala get past Arango, she would likely meet Zheng in what would be their first encounter since the 2023 Asian Games semifinals in Hangzhou.
Despite a gritty three-set loss, Eala earned the Philippines' first tennis medal at the continental meet since 2006. Zheng, then ranked No. 23, went on to capture the gold medal after defeating compatriot Zhu Lin.
The Chinese world no. 8 hitter opens her Roland Garros campaign against Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova.
Zheng returns to Paris following a stellar 2024 season highlighted by her Olympic triumph last August and runner-up finishes at the season-ending WTA Finals and the Italian Open.
She also enters the tournament on a high, having snapped a seven-match losing streak against world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka with a 6-4, 6-3 upset win in Rome, before falling to world no. 2 Coco Gauff in the final.
Sabalenka, who is chasing her first-ever Roland Garros title, will face Kamilla Rakhimova in the opening round. Gauff, Eala’s recent doubles partner in Rome, plays Australian Olivia Gadecki.
[ALSO READ: Alex Eala, Coco Gauff fall short vs defending Italian Open doubles champions in quarterfinals]
Meanwhile, four-time defending champion Iga Swiatek begins her quest for a fifth consecutive French Open crown against Slovakia’s Rebecca Sramkova.
Seeded fifth — her lowest seeding at a Grand Slam since the 2022 Australian Open — Swiatek shares a loaded quarter of the draw with fourth-ranked Jasmine Paolini, fresh off her second WTA 1000 title in Rome.