Just a few days after celebrating her 20th birthday, Alex Eala lost in her debut game in the Roland Garros tournament as she bowed down against fellow first-timer, Emiliana Arango, through 3 sets.
So Close yet, So Far
After a horrible 1st set, the pride of the Philippines was able to get back on track for Set 2 and was able to force a do-or-die Set 3.
But the comeback wasn’t successful as the No. 88 Colombian took the win.
Final Score: 6-0, 6-2, 6-3
Alex came close to tying the score in the third set, with Arango leading by just one point at 4-3. However, Emiliana went on a dominant run, taking a commanding 5-3 lead and closing out the match, despite struggling with the clay court conditions due to the weather.
The match had been delayed earlier during Set 2 because of the rain when Eala was leading, 3-1.
This means that Emiliana Arango will move on and advance to the next round while Alex Eala suffers yet another early exit, just like her 2025 Italian Open debut match.
Hard to Replicate the “Magical Run in Miami”
The entire Philippines have always been proud with the success of Alex ever since she was able to pull off the magical run at the Miami Open 2025.
But truth be told, she has struggled in all of her singles matches after that “cinderella-esque” stint.
In the Miami Open, she reached the semifinals but lost against Jessica Pegula. Then in the Oeiras Open in Portugal, she was eliminated in the Round of 16 as she fell against Panna Udvardy. While in the Madrid Open, Iga Swiatek made sure Alex wouldn’t beat her twice as she eliminated her in the Round of 64.
It can be recalled that Eala was able to give Swiatek a loss during her phenomenal Miami Open run.
But hey, at least Alex has found some winning culture in the doubles match as in her recent team-up with higher ranked Coco Gauff of the USA, they were able to reach the quarterfinals of Italian Open 2025.
Speaking of doubles matches…
Up Next: Revenge at the Roland Garros Doubles
If she can’t rule the singles matches, then the No. 69-ranked player in the world would do her best to capture the title in the doubles match.
Considering that she has found some success in this type of competition, she has paired up with the ranked No. 74, Renata Zarazua of Mexico. The Mexican and Filipina duo will then face the tandem of Marta Kostyuk and Elena-Gabriela Ruse.
Elena-Gabriela Ruse, the 27-year-old Romanian, is currently ranked No.80, while Marta Kostyuk, the 22-year-old star of Ukraine, is ranked No. 25.
It can also be recalled that it was Kostyuk who gave Eala her debut loss in the Italian Open 2025. Can the young Philippine tennis legend win their second face-off?
