Who is Linda Noskova? Alex Eala's Round of 16 foe at Indian Wells Open

Filipina tennis star Alex Eala vowed to go all out once again as she competes in the Round of 16 of the 2026 Indian Wells Open on Wednesday in California, USA.

The 20-year-old Eala will renew her rivalry with world No. 14 Linda Noskova of the Czech Republic, marking their first meeting on the WTA Tour as they slug it out at the 11 a.m. match schedule. 

"Linda is an amazing player. Very powerful and  even at such a young age, very experienced," Eala said briefly after a 6-2, 2-0 walkover against Coco Gauff yesterday.

"So I’m excited for my first fourth-round in Indian Wells so I’m gonna go in with a good preparation and a lot of motivation."

The two players know each other well. In 2018, Eala, then a just a 12-year-old junior player, defeated Noskova to reign supreme in the Les Petit As-Le Mondial Lacoste in France in a hard-fought contest. 

Eala and Noskova also met in the 2020 French Open juniors singles quarterfinals with the Filipina ace emerging victorious with a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 comeback win before falling to Elsa Jacquemont in the semifinals. 

Like Eala, Noskova was also coming off a stint at the Dubai Tennis Championships, winning over Ann Li in Round of 64 but falling to Sorana Cirstea in the next round to likewise absorb an early exit. 

READ MORE | Alex Eala’s World Ranking in 2026: Week-by-week ranking

Noskova reached the quarterfinals of the 2024 Australian Open, marking the deepest Grand Slam run of the Czech standout’s career so far.

Noskova had a career-high ranking of no. 12 earlier this year. 

In the ongoing Indian Wells Open, Noskova earned a bye in the opening round before dominating world no. 50 Jessica Bouzas Maneiro with a 6-3, 6-3 win in the Round of 64. 

She then redeemed herself against Cirstea, completing a gutsy 6-7, 6-4, 6-4 come-from-behind victory in the Round of 32 to set up a date with Eala. 

—JMB, GMA Integrated News