Alex Eala will have to go through someone—Tereza Valentova—she hasn’t beaten yet if she wants to make it past the Round of 16 at the Prudential Hong Kong Tennis Open. And the 21-year-old knows she’s up for a big challenge against a player whom she described as having “played really well.”
“I’ve had very tough matches against her in the past,” Eala said of Valentova. “I think she’s proven to be a really good player. Not just against me, but, you know, she’s played really well. So, it should be a good challenge for me, like every match as well.”
Expect Alex Eala to Fight With Everything
Indeed, it is. In two matches with Valentova so far, Eala has had only one good set—the first one at the WTA 1000 Qatar Open earlier this year, when she took the Czech ace to the hilt before falling, 7-6. She then dropped the next set, 6-1, to crash out of the tournament. Last year, at the WTA 250 Kinoshita Group Japan Open, Valentova dominated Eala, 6-1, 6-3.
Faced with such a tall task, Eala knows all she can do is prepare as best she can and give it her all—something she always does anyway.
“All I can do is do my best to prepare, and when I’m out there, fight with everything I have,” she said.
Alex Eala’s match with Tereza Valentova is set for later today, with the start time tentatively at 2:00 p.m.
Feeling Good, Super Blessed
As she prepares for Valentova, Alex Eala also allayed injury concerns after she played with tape on her left knee in her opening-round win against Emerson Jones. Importantly, the young tennis ace appears to be in her happy place—healthy, competing at a high level, and ending what has been a banner year with her highest ranking ever so far (No. 17).
“I’m feeling good. I think, you know, it’s the end of the year, so nothing out of the ordinary. And I’m healthy, I’m happy, so I’m super blessed,” she said. “My year has been absolutely just incredible, and I’m so grateful for everything that I’ve been through… I mean, if I’m tired and I’m 17 in the world, that’s great… Being tired is a blessing as well. Being tired means that I’ve been working hard, I’ve been having lots of matches, competing a lot. Being tired means that I’m healthy enough to work.”
Indeed, Alex Eala has had an absolutely incredible year. It has been a year of growth and historic feats, and she can end it on a high note with a deep run in Hong Kong.
But she’ll have to go through Tereza Valentova first.
