Alex Eala is facing her toughest test of the season when she faces 2022 Wimbledon champion and world No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan in the third round of the WTA 1000 Italian Open on Sunday.
Eala has already made significant strides in Rome after exiting in the opening round of the same tournament last year. She showed poise in her opening match, holding off world No. 45 Magdalena Fręch of Poland in a three-set battle, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4.
The Filipina then delivered a statement win over 31st seed Wang Xinyu of China, 6-4, 6-3, in a match that highlighted her growing comfort on the clay courts of the Foro Italico.
Wang had previously beaten Eala in three sets last January in the semifinals of the WTA 250 ASB Classic in New Zealand.
Rybakina, however, presents an entirely different level of challenge — one that goes beyond what Eala faced against Fręch and Wang.
The Kazakh star opened her 2026 season in dominant fashion, capturing the Australian Open title, where she defeated world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus in the final.
She also claimed the WTA 500 Stuttgart title in Germany last April 19 and reached back-to-back WTA 1000 finals in Indian Wells and the Miami Open, finishing runner-up to Sabalenka on both occasions.
Now representing Kazakhstan since 2018 after being born in Russia, Rybakina currently ranks third in winning percentage on the WTA Tour this season.
She has posted 27 wins against just six losses for an 81.8% winning rate.
Only Sabalenka (92.8%, 26–2) and world No. 5 Jessica Pegula of the United States (83.33%, 25–5) boast better records this year.
Eala will need nothing less than her best against an opponent with few, if any, clear weaknesses.
The 20-year-old Filipina must be sharp in her returns against arguably the most powerful server in women’s tennis.
Rybakina has fired 516 aces in 2025 — the first time since 2016 that a player has surpassed 500 aces in a season — and she has led the WTA in aces twice, first in 2022 and again this year.
Beyond her serve, Rybakina generates heavy pace from both wings, striking her flat forehands and backhands with precision and authority.
Unlike players who rely on variety and deception, she imposes herself through sheer power, often going for early winners to dictate play.
For Eala, the key will be absorbing the early barrage and refusing to be overwhelmed.
Her scrambling defense in the first two rounds helped her extend rallies, but that approach alone will not suffice against Rybakina.
She will need to create her own offense, stay patient, and avoid being drawn into a pure power exchange.
Instead, Eala must look to disrupt the world No. 2’s rhythm — making her move laterally and forcing her to cover more ground — while choosing the right moments to attack.
Rybakina will become the fourth top-five player Eala has faced in her young career.
She holds a 3-3 record against top-five opponents, with wins over Grand Slam champions Iga Świątek, Coco Gauff, and Madison Keys. On the other hand, she has lost to Świątek, Gauff, and Jessica Pegula.
