Alex Eala to kick off clay season at Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open

Alex Eala is set to swing into clay-court action as the Filipina star prepares to participate in the 2026 Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open two weeks from now in Austria.

Eala is currently listed in the WTA500 tournament draw alongside several powerhouse names, including defending champion Ekaterina Alexandrova, Clara Tauson, Emma Raducanu, Emma Navarro, Jelena Ostapenko, and Sorana Cirstea. 

The 20-year-old Eala is coming off a campaign at the 2026 Miami Open, where she lost to Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic in the Round of 16 on Monday night. 

Eala absorbed a 6-0, 6-2 loss to bow out of the tournament. 

In 2025, Alexandrova defeated Dayana Yastremska in the finals with a score of 6-2, 3-6, 7-5. Other past winners include Ostapenko in 2024, Anastasia Potapova in 2023, and Alison Riske-Amritraj in 2021.

World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka also ruled the tournament in 2020 while Coco Gauff dominated it in 2019.  

The tournament will run from April 6 to 12 in the indoor clay courts of Design Center Linz.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News