By NIKOLE JAVIER
Filipina tennis star Alex Eala will be playing her first pro-level match in the 2023 Australian Open.
The junior Grand Slam champion, who clinched her first singles title in the 2022 US Open Juniors, has made it to the qualifying rounds of the Jan. 16-29 tournament in Melbourne next year.
“YESSSSS!!!! I made the cut for the Qualifying Rounds of the Australian Open 2023 in Melbourne! This will be my first match ever in the pro-level of a Grand Slam,” wrote Eala on a Facebook post.
In 2020, Eala bagged the Australian girls’ doubles title with partner Priska Madelyn Nugroho after defeating Živa Falkner and Matilda Mutavdzic in the final.
The 17-year-old has also been actively keeping herself in tip-top shape and managed to earn a decent finish a few months ago in the W80 Poitiers tournament in France finals following a silver medal finish.
The British and German tilts, however, proved to be tough competition for the Filipina who had a mix of up-and-down results.
With an experience-seeking attitude, Eala could be facing the higher-ranked tennis stars in the women’s singles category about a month from now.