Filipino tennis star Alex Eala ended her 2026 Australian Open run with exits in both singles and doubles. She lost her singles main draw debut to American Alycia Parks, 6-0, 3-6, 2-6, on Monday.
In doubles, Eala and Brazilian partner Ingrid Martins fell 6(3)-7, 6-2, 3-6 to Japan’s Shuko Aoyama and Poland’s Magda Linette.
After a medical timeout, the duo trailed 0-4 in the final set, rallied to 3-4, but could not overcome their opponents, who sealed the win and advanced to the second round.
Reflecting on her Grand Slam experience, the 20-year-old Pinay athlete shared on social media: “Being able to play here is such a privilege! One that must be earned, but a privilege nonetheless. Learning, growing and enjoying. Thank you Melbourne 🫶”
Eala will next compete as a qualifying wild card at the 2026 Mubadala Abu Dhabi Open, a WTA 500 event from January 31 to February 7.
The 20-year old Pinay athlete is also included in the main draw wild card of the first Philippine-Women’s Open starting January 24. Eala has yet to respond to whether she will attend a match in her homeland.
