Alex Eala during a meet and greet on Friday as she takes a brief holiday in the Philippines after her Grand Slam campaigns. –HANDOUT PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines —Alex Eala remains hungry for a breakthrough as she aims for her first women’s Grand Slam singles main draw win at the US Open, set from August 24 to September 7.
The 20-year-old Filipino tennis ace made her main draw debuts this year at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, but a singles victory has remained elusive.
READ: Alex Eala fulfills ‘childhood dream’ with Wimbledon debut
Eala lost to 2024 Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova in the first round, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1, last July 1. In May, she dropped a three-setter to Emiliana Arango in the French Open, 6-0, 2-6, 6-3.
While her dream semifinal run in the Miami Open marked a breakthrough in her pro career, Eala continues to push for more.
“There’s still a lot for me to achieve. I think there are a lot of big tournaments lined up, not just the US Open so I hope to play well there and of course try to get my first Grand Slam main draw win,” Eala said during her meet and greet with Globe on Friday.
READ: Alex Eala rises to career-high No. 56 in WTA rankings
Currently ranked No. 56 in the WTA, Eala will compete in two WTA 1000 events in Montreal and Cincinnati, a WTA 500 in Monterrey, and another in New York as part of her US Open build-up.
She’s also scheduled to play in events in China and Hong Kong later this year.
The Rafa Nadal Academy graduate became the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles title when she ruled the 2022 US Open Girls.
She recently reached the final of the Eastbourne Open, where she fell to Australia’s Maya Joint, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6(10).
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For now, Eala will enjoy her short vacation in the country before flying to Canada as part of her build-up ahead of the US Open.
