Alexandra Eala can take so much pride from the last week, but her run in Berlin is over.
It was brought to a screeching halt by Linda Noskova, who played a perfect game to nullify the 21-year-old’s threats and win with ease.
Regardless of yesterday’s result, Alexandra Eala must still depart the German capital brimming with confidence, having beaten big-hitting superstars like Donna Vekic, Elena Rybakina and Elina Svitolina before this defeat.
Tracy Austin acknowledged this, but was also keen to ensure that she made the correct next steps with Wimbledon just around the corner.
Tracy Austin’s advice for Alex Eala after losing to Linda Noskova
Speaking live on Tennis Channel’s coverage of yesterday’s Berlin Open semi-final, she had kind words for both the victor, Noskova, and the valiant loser, Eala.
In fact, the American pundit actually reserved some advice for the Filipina sensation, after what has been a sensational few weeks on court.
Where does Alex Eala’s victory over Elena Rybakina rank among the best wins of her career?
She's through to the quarter-finals in Berlin!
She insisted: “She won a 125 in Birmingham, lost in the second round to Iva Jovic. Her fourth match of this week.
“It’s been a great week for Eala. How about a hand for her, a couple of top 10 wins.
“She’s gonna need a couple of days off, I think. She really needs to rest the body, but the mind is going to be great right now.”
This comes just days after Austin explained why Eala is such a good grass-court player after she had beaten Svitolina, her second top-ten win of the event.
Alexandra Eala’s really strange record against Czech players continues
For followers of Eala, her loss to Noskova came as little surprise. After all, aside from her incredible tennis attributes and fine form, it was actually her nationality that confirmed the result for many.
The Czech is just the latest from her nation to have inflicted defeat on the Philippines’ brightest tennis star, with her record against players from this country now sitting at a rather abysmal one win and 13 losses.
| Year | Event | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 2023 | W60 Nantes | Semi-final | Gabriela Andrea Knutson | Loss |
| 2024 | W75 Trnava | Round of 32 | Tereza Martincova | Loss |
| 2024 | Guadalajara | Round of 32 | Marie Bouzkova | Loss |
| 2024 | Wuhan | Round of 64 | Katerina Siniakova | Loss |
| 2024 | Jiujiang | Round of 32 | Marie Bouzkova | Loss |
| 2025 | Birmingham Open | Round of 32 | Linda Fruhvirtova | Loss |
| 2025 | Wimbledon | First Round | Barbora Krejcikova | Loss |
| 2025 | Canadian Open | First Round | Marketa Vondrousova | Loss |
| 2025 | Osaka | Round of 32 | Tereza Valentova | Loss |
| 2026 | Qatar Open | Round of 64 | Tereza Valentova | Loss |
| 2026 | Indian Wells | Round of 16 | Linda Noskova | Loss |
| 2026 | Miami Open | Round of 16 | Karolina Muchova | Loss |
| 2026 | Birmingham Open | Final | Nikola Bartunkova | Win |
| 2026 | Berlin Open | Semi-final | Linda Noskova | Loss |
In fact, Eala only scored her first win against a Czech player in Birmingham earlier this month, coming from a set down to beat Nikola Bartunkova in the final.
Given the sheer number of players from this nation who are present around the apex of the sport, this is a strange hurdle that Eala really needs to clear if she is to make genuine progress and start challenging for elite honours.
