Alex Eala to face tennis legend Venus Williams in ASB Classic doubles

Alex Eala will get her first taste of action against a Williams sister as the Filipina ace takes on Venus Williams in a doubles match at the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand to open her 2026 WTA season on Monday (PH time).

Eala, 20, will be partnering up with 18-year-old Iva Jovic in the ASB Classic — the player who won the 2025 Guadalajara Open last year. Alex won the 125 version of the tournament

Jovic is currently ranked 35th in the WTA, while Eala enters the new year as WTA no 53.

However, they will be going up against immense experience with Williams pairing up with Ukranian Elina Svitolina.

The 31-year-old Svitolina is a former world no. 3 and has won 18 WTA titles. She also previously won the WTA Finals back in 2018, beating Sloane Stephens.

Williams, the older between her and sister Serena, is a former world no. 1 and a 7-time Grand Slam champion. 

She also has pedigree in women’s doubles as she was likewise a world no. 1 doubles player — a position she held for eight weeks.

Williams, 45, and Svitolina will be bucking age against their much younger opponents for this first matchup of the year.

Williams has been playing professionally since 11 years before Eala’s birth (1994), while Svitolina turned pro when the Filipina was only three (2008).

Both pairs are unseeded in the ASB Classic doubles.

Before pairing up with Eala to face off against Williams and Svitolina, Jovic will also be playing in women’s singles as the 3-seed against Czechia’s Gabriela Andrea Knutson.

Eala, for her part, begins her women’s singles stint against Donna Vekic on Tuesday as the no. 4 seed.

[RELATED: Who is Croatia’s Donna Vekic? Alex Eala’s first opponent of 2026]

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Luisa Morales is a sports writer with a special interest in promoting women’s sports.

Her coverage highlights include the UAAP, PVL, Southeast Asian Games, and the FIBA World Cup. She also follows Alex Eala, the Philippine women’s national football team, and mixed martial arts.