Australian Open win remains elusive for Alex Eala despite perfect start

MANILA, Philippines – A dream start turned into a nightmare end for Alex Eala as she crashed out of the Australian Open.

Eala saw her breakthrough main draw appearance in the first Grand Slam of the year conclude swiftly after a stinging 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 loss to American Alycia Parks in the first round in Melbourne Park on Monday, January 19.

Buoyed by a loud Filipino crowd that packed Court 6, Eala served a bagel in the opening set but lost steam the rest of the way as the big-serving Parks turned the tables to advance past the first round of the Australian Open for the second time in her career.

Parks, who is ranked 50 spots below Eala at world No. 99, fired 12 aces and 40 winners in a stunning reversal of fortune between two competitors who had contrasting starts to the year.

Eala began 2026 in style with a run to the semifinals of the WTA 250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand, and lifted the Evonne Goolagong Cawley Trophy in the Kooyong Classic, where she beat Olympic silver medalist Donna Vekic for the second time this month.

Meanwhile, Parks entered the Australian Open with hardly any momentum following early exits in the ASB Classic and WTA 250 Hobart International, where she finished with a combined 1-2 record.

But Parks proved to be steadier in front of the partisan Filipino crowd as she relied on her serve, which went as fast as 196 kilometers per hour.

Even in the final point of the game, Parks — who peaked at world No. 40 in 2023 — punished Eala with a high-powered serve that resulted in a backhand error for the Filipina. 

The defeat meant Eala stayed winless as a senior in the Australian Open, as the 20-year-old has now lost in the first round of qualifying in each of the past three years.

It also marked the fourth straight WTA Tour event where Eala dropped a match after clinching the opening set, similar to her exits from the ASB Classic, the Hong Kong Tennis Open, and the Guangzhou Open. 

If it is any consolation, Eala’s Australian Open elimination opens up the possibility of her playing in her home event, the Philippine Women’s Open scheduled from January 26 to 31.

Eala is a wildcard in the WTA 125 tournament which will feature fellow top 100 players Vekic, Tatjana Maria, Camila Osorio, Wang Xinyu, Solana Sierra, and Lulu Sun at the Rizal Memorial Tennis Center. 

While her Australian Open singles campaign is over, Eala still has a chance to go deep in the doubles category as she and Brazilian partner Ingrid Martins face Poland’s Magda Linette and Japan’s Shuko Aoyama in the first round on Tuesday, January 20. – Rappler.com