FILIPINA tennis sensation Alex Eala makes her debut at the Italian Open on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, with a first-round battle against world No. 27 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine at Foro Italico in Rome.
For the first time, Eala made a direct entry into the main draw of a WTA 1000 after vaulting to No. 70 in the world rankings.
This will be the first face-off between the 19-year-old lefty Eala and the 22-year-old Kostyuk, a right-handed who once ranked 16th in
the world.
Eala is coming off a second-round loss to Iga Swiatek at the Madrid Open, where Kostyuk also lost to eventual champion Aryna Sabalenka in the quarterfinals.
The winner between Eala and Kostyuk will earn a second-round duel with 14th seed and former semifinalist Daria Kasatkina of Australia.
Known as one of the premier stops on the WTA Tour, the Italian Open is a critical stepping stone for players preparing for the French Open.
For Eala, it offers a golden opportunity to fine-tune her clay-court skills against the best in the world, just weeks before making her much-anticipated Grand Slam main draw debut at Roland-Garros.
As she enters this new chapter of her career, Filipino fans around the globe are rallying behind her. The road to Roland-Garros is heating up, and all eyes are now on Rome.
Meanwhile, Iva Jovic, 17, and Emilio Nava, 23, have earned wild-card entries into the French Open from the U.S. Tennis Association. The two secured their spots by leading in points accumulated over five weeks of tournament play.
Jovic’s French Open appearance will mark her third consecutive Grand Slam event. She previously reached the second round at both the U.S. Open last September and the Australian Open in January. Currently, she holds a ranking of 120th. Notably, at Flushing Meadows, Jovic became the youngest American to win a main-draw match in the women’s singles competition at the U.S. Open since 2000, defeating Magda Linette of Poland, who was a 2023 Australian Open semifinalist.
Nava, who is currently ranked 137th, will be making his second appearance at the French Open, having qualified in 2023. He also competed in the U.S. Open main draw in 2022 and 2023.
The French Open, a clay-court tournament, is scheduled to begin in Paris on May 25th. / RP2 SPORTS, PNA, WIRES