Alex Eala wants dream matchup with Aryna Sabalenka

Alta Sports8 days ago · 335 views

Alex Eala wants dream matchup with Aryna Sabalenka image

Photo by Al Bello, Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

By Joel Reyes

Alex Eala isn’t shying away from a future showdown with the world’s No. 1 female tennis player today.

Eala revealed during her guest appearance on the “Served with Andy Roddick” podcast that Aryna Sabalenka is the player she wants to face the most among the current crop of stars on the WTA Tour.

“Sabalenka, of course,” Eala replied when asked by Roddick about her dream matchup among her peers. “I think everyone wants to play the No 1 in the world. I almost had the chance last year — it’s exactly what my coach told me, before I played Jessica [Pegula].”

“He was like, ‘Alex, you’re in the semi-finals of a Masters, of Miami nonetheless, and you’re playing for a spot to play against the No 1 in the world, so this is where you want to be.’”

Eala was one victory away from securing a showdown with Sabalenka in last year’s Miami Open final but was denied by Pegula in the semis. She lost in three sets to the American, ending her Cinderella run in the WTA 1000 tournament.

That first-ever clash with Sabalenka can’t come soon enough for Eala and her Filipino fans, who want to see the Quezon City native test her skills against the very best.

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