It’s fair to say that Asian tennis is flourishing at the minute, with Alex Eala spearheading this new wave of superstars.
She may not be the most decorated of player compared to the likes of Naomi Osaka and Qinwen Zheng, but the way in which she has introduced an entire country to the sport has already turned her into one of tennis’ most important assets.
Therefore, it will be intriguing to see how she gets on in Washington, forced to face Zheng in the very first round.
Pitting two of Asia’s most prominent and successful modern-day tennis stars against one another, there are sure to be fireworks in their first WTA-level meeting.
Is Alex Eala ‘overhyped and overrated’?
Some fans think so…
The Chinese star, who reached the Australian Open final in 2024, has endured a torrid time with injuries of late, and will therefore be unseeded in DC.
However, to discount her because of this ranking would be foolish.
Qinwen Zheng previews her Washington Open match against Alex Eala
Alexandra Eala will certainly be well aware of the threats Zheng poses, having lost their only ever match three years ago.
Speaking at her press conference, Zheng has offered a similar kind of analysis when previewing the match, as she said: “It’s a good match to play against.
“It’s going to be tough. Last time I played against her three years ago, that’s already a lot of years. So right now it’s going to be totally different. I’m just going to play my game, and we will see what happens.
“I think the challenge for me will be playing my game as long as I can, you know, to maintain the focus from the beginning until the end. That’s a huge challenge because right now in my stage I would say most of the important things is more about myself, how I’m able to control myself on court, and to really achieve the level, yeah.”
Eala was due to play doubles with Venus Williams in Washington but withdrew late on, seeking to focus on singles.
What happened the last time Qinwen Zheng played Alex Eala?
Zheng and Eala have only ever faced each other once before in their careers, and it actually was a match that did not count towards anything on the WTA Tour.
However, what they were fighting for was national pride, meeting in the semi-finals of the 2023 Asian Games.
With an opportunity to gun for gold, both players competed with glory in mind. This clearly brought out the very best in them, as they clashed for over three hours across three gruelling but hugely entertaining sets.
In the end, Zheng won 6-1 6-7(3) 6-3, and would go on to claim gold by winning the final. Eala, meanwhile, won her bronze medal match, ensuring she did not leave without some silverware.
It will be interesting to see how these two supreme competitors have changed in the three years since that clash.
