Alexandra Eala enjoyed a stunning start to life in Tokyo yesterday, as she stormed past Mika Stojsavljevic in straight sets.
In fact, such was her domination that the 21-year-old dropped just three games in the entire match against the British teenager. It was a harsh lesson for the inexperienced youngster, but a crucial one.
For Alexandra Eala, it was refreshing to see her exert her dominance over a lesser opponent, having at times been dragged into dogfights with players whom, on paper, she should comfortably beat.
Speaking with Dyan Castillejo afterwards, she insisted that her recent form has not been as bad as some might argue, before discussing her next opponent and her doubles partnership, which fell through.
Alexandra Eala speaks after winning her Tokyo Open first-round match
Eala began with a word on her performance and the indoor conditions in Tokyo, briefly noting: “I’m really happy. I think the conditions, you know, it’s different than last week, and I think with the time I spent on court, I get more and more accustomed to it. So yeah, I’m feeling good.”
Then, discussing last week, where she comfortably lost in the second round of Ningbo against Diana Shnaider, the 21-year-old insisted: “No, I think last week was a really good week for me.
“Yeah. I put out some really great tennis on court. So I’m super happy about that. So I’m really trying to just continue that momentum and try to finish the year strong.”
Eala’s supreme returning was once again the cornerstone of her success against Stojsavljevic yesterday, and she explained how her level had to rise as her opponent’s did in that second set.
She then looked ahead to facing Talia Gibson in the next round: “I mean, it’s been a while. It’s been a long time, so I think both of us have developed a lot and maybe our games have changed in certain aspects, but I remember she’s a big hitter and a big fighter as well, like everyone is. So it should be a really good match.”
Eala had been scheduled to play doubles with Desirae Krawczyk, and visibly lit up when asked about her partner. Sadly, they were forced to withdraw, and she explained: “Yeah, I mean, it just didn’t work out this time, but, you know, she’s so proud of her Filipino roots, and it’s so nice to have someone to connect about that with on tour, you know, so I think we bonded really quickly because of that.
“And so I think it will happen. It will happen. And she just came off an amazing win in Ningbo. So yeah, well-deserved win for her.”
Since yesterday’s win, Eala has been backed to break into the top ten in 2027, with Greg Rusedski even going as far as to compare her to Maria Sharapova, her idol.