Alexandra Eala will hope to bounce back from her shocking loss at the Guangzhou Open when she competes at the Hong Kong Open this week.
In Guangzhou, Eala squandered leads in the second and third sets of her first-round match, eventually losing to world number 305 Claire Liu.
This loss marked the latest disappointing result in what has been a tough period for the 20-year-old.
After becoming the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles match at the US Open, Eala has lost her first match at three consecutive WTA Tour-level events.
The 20-year-old will look to end this streak when she begins her Hong Kong Open campaign against a British player.
Alexandra Eala could face Victoria Mboko in the Hong Kong Open second round
Alexandra Eala’s task at the Hong Kong Open is far from simple.
In the first round, she faces a tough task in the form of British star Katie Boulter. The Brit, who has demonstrated inconsistent form throughout October, has a penchant for defeating some of the best players on the WTA Tour.
In 2025, the British 29-year-old has claimed victories against Paula Badosa and Linda Noskova, who recently made the China Open final.
If Eala defeats Boulter, her task will likely become even more difficult.
The Filipino star will likely face Canadian Open champion and third seed Victoria Mboko, who is set to play Talia Gibson in the first round.
Mboko had been on a horrendous run of form leading up to last week’s Japan Open. However, she appeared to rekindle some of her form, comfortably defeating Bianca Andreescu and Eva Lys before losing to world number seven Elena Rybakina.
If Mboko recaptures her best form in Hong Kong, Eala – and the rest of the draw – will have a difficult time preventing the Canadian from winning another WTA Tour title.
Who could Eala play in the third round?
If Eala defeats Boulter and [potentially] Mboko, she will likely face sixth seed Anna Kalinskaya in the Hong Kong Open third round.
Eala and Kalinskaya, a finalist at the 2025 Washington Open, have never played each other before on the WTA Tour.
Last week, Kalinskaya made the Japan Open quarter-finals, before losing to Linda Noskova.
The Russian, ranked 38 in the world, faces Kamilla Rakimova in the Hong Kong Open first round.
