MANILA, Philippines — Filipina netter Alex Eala faces a tough challenge upon her return to action at the Ningbo Open, which kicks off at the Ningbo Yinzhou Tennis Center.
Based on the official draw released by tournament organizers, Eala will first face France's Diane Parry in the opening round of the WTA 500 event.
The match between Eala and Parry is scheduled for 12 noon on Monday. This is their first-ever meeting on the WTA Tour.
Also looming in Eala's draw are potential matchups against world No. 13 Diana Shnaider of Russia in the second round, world No. 11 Iva Jovic of the United States in the quarterfinals, and defending champion and world No. 1 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the semifinals.
Eala is aiming to bounce back at the Ningbo Open following a string of early exits across three consecutive tournaments.
Her rough stretch began at the Singapore Open, where she was shown an early exit after falling to Russia's Tatiana Prozorova (6-4, 5-7, 3-6) in the opening round.
This was followed by another setback against China's Wang Xiyu in the semifinals of the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, with a score of 6-4, 3-6, 3-6.
Eala's frustration deepened when she suffered another early elimination at the Wuhan Open in China, absorbing a 6-4, 3-6, 3-6 defeat against China's Han Shi in the first round.
All three players who defeated Eala hold lower WTA rankings. Moreover, a recurring pattern marked the Filipina netter's losses, where she would win the first set only to fall short in the final two frames.
To ensure she is in top shape before stepping onto the court, Eala immediately went straight to intensive training upon arriving in Ningbo. TMT
