Revisiting Alex Eala’s Czech woes ahead of Noskova clash at Indian Wells

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Revisiting Alex Eala’s Czech woes ahead of Noskova clash at Indian Wells image

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By Joel Reyes

Alex Eala has a Czech problem that she will need to solve fast for her to reach the quarterfinals of the 2026 BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells on Wednesday (PH time).

The Filipina tennis star carries an abysmal 0-11 record against Czech opponents in matches played on the ITF and WTA Tour heading into her Round of 16 showdown against Linda Noskova.

Here’s a brief rundown of the Czech players who have given Eala problems on the ITF and WTA Tour.

Anastasia Zarycka (2020 ITF Grand Canaria)

Eala’s difficulties against Czech opponents first started against Zarycka at the ITF Grand Canaria event on November 24, 2020, losing 2-6, 4-6 in their Round of 32 clash.

Tereza Martincova (2024 ITF Slovakia)

Eala’s Czech struggles continued against Martincova at the ITF Slovakia tournament on March 6, 2024, losing 6-3, 4-6, 6-7 in their Round of 32 showdown.

Marie Bouzkova (2024 Guadalajara Open)

Eala’s first WTA Tour defeat against a Czech player happened at the 2024 Guadalajara Open, losing 2-6, 2-6 to sixth seed Bouzkova in their Round of 32 clash at Akron Tennis Stadium.

Photo by ULISES RUIZ/AFP via Getty Images

Katerina Siniakova (2024 Wuhan Open)

Eala suffered a heavy defeat when she faced Siniakova at the 2024 Wuhan Open, losing 3-6, 1-6 in their Round of 64 clash on October 8, 2024.

Marie Bouzkova (2024 Jiangxi Open)

Eala faced Bouzkova for the second time on the WTA Tour at the 2024 Jiangxi Open. It was a much closer affair compared to their first meeting in Mexico, with Eala losing 5-7, 6-7 to the top-seeded Czech in the Round of 32 on October 28, 2024.

Linda Fruhvirtova (2025 Birmingham Open)

The third-seeded Eala suffered a shocking defeat against Fruhvirtova in the grass court event, losing 5-7, 7-6, 1-6 to the unseeded Czech in the Round of 32 on June 3, 2025.

Barbora Krejcikova (2025 Wimbledon)

Eala made her Wimbledon debut on Centre Court on Jul. 1, 2025, when she faced defending champion Krejcikova in the first round. She sent Filipino fans into a frenzy after she took the opening set 6-3.

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Eala failed to complete the upset win, though, dropping the next two sets, 2-6, 1-6, to bow out of the prestigious Grand Slam tournament.

Marketa Vondrousova (2025 Canadian Open)

Eala’s Czech woes continued at the 2025 Canadian Open, losing in the first round to Vondrousova 6-3, 1-6, 2-6.

Tereza Valentova (2025 Japan Open)

Eala had no answer to Valentova during their Round of 32 clash at the 2025 Japan Open, losing 1-6, 2-6 to the Czech teen.

Ekaterina Alexandrova (2026 Abu Dhabi Open)

Eala’s losing streak against Czech opponents extended to 10 matches when she lost in straight sets to Alexandrova 3-6, 3-6 in the quarterfinals of the 2026 Abu Dhabi Open last February 5.

Photo by Christopher Pike/Getty Images

Tereza Valentova (2026 Qatar Open)

Valentova made it two wins out of two against Eala when she ousted the Filipina in the first round of the 2026 Qatar Open. Valentova cruised to victory after a tough opening set, winning 7-6, 6-1 against Eala, much to the dismay of her Filipino supporters.

Can Eala finally break the curse and win her first-ever WTA match against a Czech opponent today vs Noskova? We’ll soon find out.

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