ALEX Eala will open her Italian Open debut on Wednesday, May 6, 2026 (PH time), against Poland’s Magdalena Frech at the Foro Italico complex in Rome.
It will be the first career meeting between world No. 42 Eala and world No. 45 Frech. Both players are looking to build momentum after their second-round exits in the Madrid Open.
As she approaches her 21st birthday on May 23, Eala is aiming to turn her clay-court campaign around following a series of early exits. She has not advanced beyond the second round in Linz, Stuttgart, and Madrid.
If Eala prevails, she will face world No. 31 Xinyu Wang in the Round of 64. Wang won their only previous encounter, 5-7, 7-5, 6-4, at the ASB Classic last January.
The Filipino tennis standout arrived in Rome on Sunday and immediately started preparations for the 2026 Italian Open.
The prestigious clay-court tournament, also known as the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, serves as Eala’s vital tune-up for the French Open in Paris, which begins on May 18.
In last year’s Italian Open edition, Eala fell to Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the first round, 0-6, 1-6, but reached the doubles quarterfinals with American Coco Gauff.
Top stars competing in this year’s tournament include Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Iga Swiatek, and Gauff, currently ranked Nos. 1 to 4 in the world.
Eala is hoping to bounce back from a tough Madrid Open stint, where she exited in the second round after losing to 19th seed Elise Mertens of Belgium. Despite the setback, the 20-year-old improved her ranking by two spots to a career-high No. 42. / DZSR SPORTS RADIO / PNA
