Alex Eala marched into the Ningbo Open second round on Monday after comfortably defeating French player Diane Parry in straight sets.
Eala, who is unseeded in China, defeated Parry 6-3, 6-1 on Centre Court and will now play either sixth seed Diana Shnaider or Yulia Putintseva in the second round.
Monday’s result dispelled fears regarding Eala’s inconsistent form as of late; the Filipina recently suffered shock defeats in Singapore and Wuhan, while also reaching the Asian Games semi-finals.
Eala offered her immediate reaction to Monday’s victory while speaking on court to a WTA spokesperson.
Alex Eala’s reaction to defeating Diane Parry at the Ningbo Open
“I’m very happy with my performance. I think it was a really good first round, tough first round,” Eala stated after securing victory.
Will Alex Eala win a Grand Slam in 2027?
If so, which one does she take?
“Diane is a great player,” she continued. “I think she’s had a really good year, so congrats to her for the year she’s done, and really happy to be in the second round.
Eala was then asked if she had a message for her Filipino fans.
“Thank you, everyone,” the 21-year-old replied, before thanking her fans in Tagalog.
“I don’t know all the languages that I know.
“Thank you so much for the support. It really makes my job very fun, even in the difficult moments, so I’m really happy to be here.”
As mentioned previously, Eala will play either Diana Shnaider or Yulia Putintseva in the Ningbo Open second round. Eala has never played either player previously on the WTA Tour circuit.
Whoever advances to the third round will likely play fourth seed Iva Jovic.
Eala has a 0-3 record against the young American, losing all three of their contests this year [Roland Garros, Queen’s Club Championships, US Open].
Alex Eala has already improved upon her performance at this stage of the 2025 season
Last year, Eala competed in the Japan Open [Osaka], rather than the Ningbo Open.
The Filipina was defeated in the first round of the 2025 Japan Open by fellow youngster Tereza Valentova.
Alex Eala’s projected path to the 2026 Ningbo Open title
- R1: defeated Diane Parry 6-3, 6-1
- R2: Diana Shnaider or Yulia Putintseva
- Quarter-finals: Iva Jovic
- Semi-finals: Elena Rybakina
- Final: Iga Swiatek
As such, Eala’s victory against Parry on Tuesday represents an improvement upon her performance during the corresponding week of the 2025 season.
The Filipina will hope to continue her positive progress when she competes in the Ningbo Open second round later this week.
