By Kristel Satumbaga
Alex Eala, the country’s top junior player, hopes to live up her billing when she competes in the girls singles of the French Open.
The 15-year-old Eala hopes to follow up her Australian Open doubles title last January with a singles crown this time.
The power-hitting Eala is seeded second in the grand slam event in Paris where she’s determined to improve on her second round performance two years ago.
Eala has improved since then. She is currently No. 4 in the International Tennis Federation (ITF) junior rankings – thanks to her training as a scholar at the Rafa Nadal Tennis Academy in Mallorca, Spain.
This will be Eala’s first major tournament since the Australian Open due to the pandemic.
In the doubles event, Eala will once again team up with American Elina Kalieva – her partner in last year’s US Open.
Draw is not yet available at press time.
The French Open is the concluding Grand Slam Juniors event this year after the juniors’ exclusion from the recent US Open and the cancellation of the Wimbledon last June.
