ALEXANDRA “ALEX” EALA is to etch another “first” in her rising international tennis career.
Ms. Eala will team up with world No. 4 Felix Auger-Aliassime of Canada for her first-ever Grand Slam mixed doubles stint in the US Open on Aug. 30 to Sept. 13 in Flushing Meadows, New York.
The US Open announced the entry list on Tuesday in time for the kickoff of the hard-court swing starting with the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, where Ms. Eala will also play as part of her US major buildup.
Ms. Eala, WTA No. 28, is coming off a Round of 16 finish in the Wimbledon while Mr. Auger-Aliassime finished in the Last 8 following a tough five-setter loss to 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic of Serbia.
Both have ties with the Rafael Nadal Academy in Spain with Ms. Eala as a scholar graduate and Mr. Auger-Aliassime training under Toni Nadal there.
And Mr. Djokovic, at 39 years old, definitely looms as a contender in the said mixed doubles after joining forces with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus to headline the 16-team list.
Also emerging as favorite pairs are Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina (WTA No. 2) and USA’s Taylor Fritz (ATP No. 9), USA’s Jessica Pegula (WTA No. 3) and Jack Draper of Great Britain (ATP No. 143); and USA’s Taylor Townsend (WTA doubles No. 2) and Germany’s Alexander Zverev (ATP No. 3).
WTA doubles No. 1 Katerina Siniakova of Czechia and ATP doubles No. 1 Henry Patten of Great Britain are also in the fray as a super favorite tandem.
Then there’s the reigning champions Sara Errani (WTA No. 10) and Andrea Vavasorri (ATP No. 6) of Italy as well as second-placers Iga Swiatek of Poland (WTA No. 8) and Casper Ruud of Norway (ATP No. 13).
But first things first for Ms. Eala, who will play Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen (WTA No. 123) in Round 1 of the 500-level Washington tour early on Wednesday.
It’s the first of Ms. Eala’s three tournaments as part of US Open preparations as she will also vie in the National Bank Open in Toronto and Cincinnati Open back in the US.
Ms. Eala was supposed to play in the Mubadala doubles as well with American legend Venus Williams but opted to focus on the singles campaign as her first tourney after a short break following a marvelous grass season campaign.
The Pinay ace said it will be a disservice to Ms. Williams if she has to juggle acts while adjusting from a grass-court transition.
“I have so much respect for Venus (Williams). I am so grateful for every opportunity that I have to be around her, to learn from her, to hit with her. But I do think this is my first week coming back, and I think that Venus is someone who deserves a partner who can give their all physically, emotionally, mentally when they’re on court with her,” said Ms. Eala during the pre-tournament presser last weekend. — John Bryan Ulanday