By MARK REY MONTEJO
Alex Eala has been putting in extra work to sharpen her clay court game ahead of her much-anticipated showdown against close friend Iva Jovic in the French Open on Monday, May 25.
The Filipina ace has been seen drawing big crowds from her practice sessions, including last Friday, May 22, where she trained from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Court 5 alongside German veteran Tatjana Maria.
She, then, took time to greet and thank her supporters for showing up despite the hot weather conditions, which reached as high as 28 degree Celsius.
Despite her massive preparations, Eala still made time for herself outside the court by celebrating her 21st birthday last Saturday, May 23.
In her TikTok post, the charming lefty took a brief break from training to celebrate her 21st birthday, turning head in a black floral dress while posing near the world-famous Eiffel Tower.
“I’m 21,” wrote Eala, who is hoping for the perfect birthday gift this year — a victory in the French Open first round.
Unfortunately, that could be at the expense of her good friend, Jovic.
She and Jovic previously played in the doubles — in the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand and Indian Wells in California, highlighted by their win over veterans American Venus Williams and Ukrainian Elina Svitolina.
Eala, who is currently ranked No. 38, now sets aside her friendship with world No. 17 Jovic for a meantime with hopes of delivering an impressive performance in the French Capital, where No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka and No. 2 Elena Rybakina headline the fray of the prestigious clay meet.
The strong crowd support could also give Eala a familiar, home-like atmosphere, with both Filipino and foreign fans rallying behind her.
