Alex Eala to face American Alycia Parks in Australian Open main draw debut

Alexandra “Alex” Eala is set to face American Alycia Parks in her Australian Open main draw debut.

Parks, 25, is currently ranked No. 100 by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) and previously reached a career-high ranking of No. 40 in 2023.

She made her Grand Slam debut at the 2021 US Open and has enjoyed her best run at the Australian Open, where she reached the Round of 32 in 2024. In 2025, Parks competed in the Round of 128 at the French Open, Wimbledon, and the US Open.

Meanwhile, this marks Eala’s first appearance in the Australian Open main draw, after previously making main draw appearances at the other three Grand Slam tournaments.

Eala is coming off a semifinal appearance at the ASB Classic in New Zealand and a win over Donna Vekic in an exhibition match at the Kooyong Classic.

Her campaign at the Australian Open will determine whether she can join the Philippine Women’s Open on January 26, as the event coincides with the second week of the Grand Slam.

In 2025, Eala had a historic season where she entered the WTA Top 100, won her first WTA 125 title, and captured her first Southeast Asian Games gold medal.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News