The lights of Indian Wells are shining a little brighter for the Philippines this week as Alex Eala prepares to take on a familiar foe in Linda Noskova. After a whirlwind third round where she led world No. 4 Coco Gauff 6–2, 2–0 before the American retired, Eala is now in the Round of 16 of the BNP Paribas Open—a win away from being one of the top eight players in what’s generally regarded as the Fifth Grand Slam.
Linda Noskova Is Another Formidable Challenge
For Filipino fans unfamiliar with the name, Linda Noskova is far from a tournament underdog. Currently the world No. 14, she has spent the last two years cementing her status as a future Grand Slam champion.
Noskova first became a household name at the 2024 Australian Open when she stunned the tennis world by defeating then-world No. 1 Iga Swiatek. Since then, her career has skyrocketed, to the point where she’s considered among the world’s best even at just 21 years old. The tennis ace from the Czech Republic is a “clean” hitter who mainly relies on a heavy right-handed serve and flat, aggressive groundstrokes, and she will enter her match with Eala as the favorite.
Alex Eala and Linda Noskova Have Shared History
While Alex Eala and Linda Noskova will be meeting as professionals for the very first time, they have actually faced off before as juniors. That happened in the final of Les Petits As in 2018, when the Filipina ace was just 12 and the Czech bet was only 13.
That championship match was a grueling three-set thriller where Eala had to claw back from a set down and survive a nail-biting tiebreak, 5–7, 6–3, 7–6(5), to win what is essentially the World Cup for players under 14. It was also the first major signal to the tennis world that a star from Quezon City had arrived. Then, in 2020, Eala and Noskova faced off again, this time in the juniors division of the French Open. Eala came out on top as well, 4–6, 6–3, 6–2, to the semis.
But all that is a lifetime ago, and Noskova is now the favorite over Eala. Even so, the Filipina is playing with “house money” and a massive wave of national pride. If she can weather the early storm of Czech power, she could be looking at a historic quarterfinal.
Alex Eala Next Match
Alex Eala vs. Linda Noskova
Tournament: WTA 1000 BNP Paribas Open Indian Wells
Draw: Round of 16
Date and Time: Wednesday, March 11 (start time approximately at 11:00 a.m., Philippine time)
