ABOUT to go four of four on the tennis Grand Slam circuit, Alex Eala finally makes her Australian Open debut, drawn against American Alycia Parks in the opening round.
The 20-year-old Filipina, currently ranked world No. 49, will face the 25-year-old Parks, ranked No. 100, in what will be their first career meeting when the 2026 Australian Open gets underway in Melbourne.
With the fourth round of qualifying still ongoing, the match schedule has yet to be determined for the tournament, which will run from January 18 to February 2.
Eala is playing in Australia for the first time at Grand Slam level after breaking into major main draws in 2025, when she cracked the WTA top 100 in March.
She competed in last year’s French Open at Roland Garros and Wimbledon, then had her best Grand Slam finish so far in the US Open, where she advanced to the round of 64.
Parks, meanwhile, brings experience and pedigree despite her lower ranking.
The American owns one WTA singles title and two doubles titles on the pro tour, along with a career-high ranking of No. 40.
She also reached the third round of the Australian Open in 2024, her best result at the season-opening major.
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