Alexandra Eala of the Philippines reacts against Clara Tauson of Denmark during their Women's Singles First Round match on Day One of the 2025 US Open at USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on August 24, 2025 in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Sarah Stier, Getty Images/AFP
MANILA -- Filipina tennis star Alex Eala will be up against a familiar opponent when she opens her campaign in the Guadalajara 125 Open in Mexico.
Eala has been drawn against Arianne Hartono of the Netherlands in the first round of the tournament that runs from September 1-6.
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The 20-year-old Eala, currently ranked WTA No. 75, enters the event as a wild card at second seed, just behind Russia's Kamilla Rakhimova (WTA No. 65).
Eala has beaten Hartono in all three of their previous encounters. She first defeated the Dutch player in 2023 before adding two more victories in 2025, including their most recent match in Bengaluru, India, where she cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win.
The 29-year old Hartono currently sits at WTA No. 187 with a 17–22 win-loss record in 2025. Her career-high ranking is No. 135, while Eala has already climbed as high as No. 56 earlier this year.
Eala is coming off a historic campaign in the 2025 US Open, which saw her become the first Philippine player to win a singles match in a Grand Slam.
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