Alex Eala enters WTA Miami Open 1st Round as huge underdog

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Filipina sensation Alex Eala continues to search for success in the international tennis circuits as the WTA Miami Open beckons this March 18, with formidable foes coming right out of the gates

MANILA, Philippines – For the third time in four years, Alex Eala has been given an automatic spot in the main draw of the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) Miami Open.

The 19-year-old is one of eight players who received wildcard entries to one of the biggest events in the pro circuit outside of the Grand Slams and the WTA finals.

Eala, though, is coming in as a huge underdog against a formidable foe in world No. 73 Katie Volynets in her opening round match scheduled on Tuesday, March 18.

The Filipina teen standout, ranked 140th in the world, will be up against the hometown crowd who will be sure to root for Volynets, a 23-year-old American with a career-high world No. 56 rank whose family emigrated from Ukraine.

Volynets will have the advantage over Eala not just in rankings but also in experience in high-level matches.

Eala has made the second round of WTA events only twice in her young career. These were in the 2021 WTA 250 Cluj-Napoca Winners Open in Romania and the WTA 1000 Mutua Madrid Open in Spain. Volynets has made the third round of the 2022 Australian Open and second round of the French Open (2022 and 2024) and the 2024 US Open.

The American, known for being patient and playing wide while waiting for the opportunity to unleash her attacking game, also made the 3rd round of two WTA 1000 tournaments in 2024, the Indian Wells Open and the China Open.

The highest ranked player that Eala has defeated was then world No. 41 Lesia Tsurenko of Ukraine in 2024. Volynets, on the other hand, holds victories over Veronika Kudermetova and Mirra Andreeva of Russia, Ons Jabeur of Tunisia, and Sofa Kenin of the United States — all of whom formerly ranked in the top 10 in the world.

Eala is hungry for an opportunity to finally get going this season after exiting in the second round of WTA Challenger Mumbai in India and two ITF W75 tournaments in Slovakia.

She will be hoping that Volynets has not yet stirred from her own slump. The American has been eliminated in the opening rounds of her last three events, all of which were WTA tournaments.

The winner of the Round of 128 encounter between Eala and Volynets will next face world No. 25 and 2017 French Open champion Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia. – Rappler.com