Alex Eala faces one of the toughest tests of her young career on Sunday as she takes on Elena Rybakina in the Round of 32 of the Italian Open.
The match is scheduled for 4 p.m. Manila time and marks the first career meeting between the two players.
Rybakina, currently ranked World No. 2 on the WTA Tour, enters the match as one of the tournament favorites. Earlier this year, she captured the Australian Open title after defeating World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka in the final to secure her second Grand Slam championship.
The Kazakh star opened her Rome campaign with a commanding 6-4, 6-1 victory over Maria Sakkari.
Eala advanced to the third round following an impressive 6-4, 6-3 win over Wang Xinyu on Friday. The Filipina also defeated Magdalena Fręch in the opening round.
Despite facing another elite opponent, Eala has built momentum over the past year with several strong performances against higher-ranked players, helping boost her standing on the WTA circuit.
The Italian Open forms part of Eala’s clay-court preparations ahead of the upcoming French Open.