Eala replaces Baptiste in Strasbourg Open main draw

The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala hits a return to Kazakhstan’s Elena Rybakina during their women’s singles match at the WTA Rome Open tennis tournament at Foro Italico in Rome on May 10, 2026.

Filippo Monteforte / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala will come in as a late replacement against a qualifier in the main draw of the WTA500 Strasbourg Open as she enters the final stage of her French Open build-up.

Eala, listed as No. 1 in the qualifying list, replaced her former doubles partner Hailey Baptiste of the United States, who pulled out Sunday, for a sudden jump in the main tournament.

Strasbourg is serving as the pre-tourney for the Roland Garros tilt, which is set from May 24 to June 7 in Paris.

The Strasbourg qualifiers is yet to reach its final phase, giving Eala ample time to plot her attack and refine her bearings from a week-long break on the heels of her breakthrough campaign in the Italian Open.

For the first time ever, the 20-year-old Eala reached the third round of a clay tournament, where she bowed to World No. 2 Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, 6-4, 6-3.

Eala and Baptiste also played in the Italian Open doubles, where they folded to Czechia’s Katerina Siniakova (world No. 1) and USA’s Taylor Townsend (world No. 2), 6-2, 6-1, in Round 1.

Either Siniakova, WTA singles No. 39, or her compatriot Marie Bouzkova, WTA No. 26, will be Eala’s opponent in Strasbourg second round should she hurdle the still-to-be-determined qualifier.

The Strasbourg will be Eala’s fifth clay stint that should serve her well in a bid to score a deep run in the queen of clay after a Round of 128 exit in her main draw debut last year against Colombia’s Emiliana Arango, 0-6, 6-2, 3-6.

The Filipina also vied in the Upper Austria Ladies Linz Open in Austria (second round), the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart, Germany (first round) and the Mutua Madrid Open (second round).

Before the French Open and Strasbourg though, Eala is expected to climb to No. 38 from No. 42 with 1340 points, according to the WTA live rankings, after gaining 55 points from a strong showing in Rome.

Eala will also play in the doubles of the Roland Garros with the 19-year old Canadian star Victoria Mboko, the world No. 9 and the No. 1 seed in Strasbourg.

It will be the first team-up for the two rising stars after two meetings in their young careers.