WASHINGTON DC -- Filipina tennis star Alex Eala is expecting a difficult battle against China's Zheng Qinwen when they face off in the first round of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington DC.
Eala and Zheng last faced off in the Asian Games in 2023, where the latter prevailed 6-1, 6-7(4), 6-3 in a marathon three-hour match. Eala had led 3-1 in the deciding set before Zheng rallied to win.
"I'm excited. I think it's going to be a really tough match for me," said Eala, who had an early practice session on Sunday with fellow Rafa Nadal Academy player Abdullah Shelbayh of Jordan.
"Definitely I need to bring the intensity and level of competition fit for this level of tournament, so I'm really excited," she added.
READ: Eala draws Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in DC Open first round
Now ranked 123rd in the world, Zheng had reached a career-high of No. 4 and was the winner of singles gold in the 2023 Asian Games and in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The 23-year-old slipped in the rankings after undergoing right elbow surgery following Wimbledon in 2025, forcing her to miss several tournaments while recovering.
By March 2026, Zheng said she was finally pain-free and beginning to regain her form after winning two of her three matches in Doha.
Speaking to the media in Washington, Zheng said she was grateful to receive a wildcard into the tournament and also expects a stern test against Eala.
"It's a good match to play against. It's going to be tough," Zheng said.
"The last time I played against her was three years ago. That's already a lot of years. Right now it's going to be totally different. I'm just going to play my game, and we will see what happens."
For Zheng, the biggest challenge is regaining her confidence after her injury. "The reality is after I came back from injury, I haven't won three straight matches in a row. That's the challenge I'm facing, too," she said.
Eala and Zheng are scheduled to face off on Tuesday in one of the marquee first-round matches of the WTA 500 tournament.
WITHDRAWING FROM DOUBLES
Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala answers questions and interacts with fans during a fan meet at Nike The Fort on Monday, July 13, 2026. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
Eala is focusing on the singles draw in Washington DC after withdrawing from the doubles, where she was supposed to play with tennis icon Venus Williams.
They had previously teamed up at the Bad Homburg Open last month, reaching the quarterfinal.
READ: Alex Eala turns focus to hardcourt swing, US Open
"Of course, I'm grateful for every opportunity I get to play with Venus and train with her and just learn from her," Eala said. "But I think she deserves someone who can give their all — physically, mentally, in all aspects."
"Being it's my first week back, I won't be able to do that in both singles and doubles. I don't have the capacity yet to be able to give that in both."
"I'm really grateful for the opportunity that I had, and hopefully we see more of it in the future."
PRAISE FOR EALA
Meanwhile, Eala received praise from two of Asia's greatest tennis champions ahead of the tournament.
Four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka and former world No. 4 Kei Nishikori both spoke glowingly of the Filipino star ahead of the Mubadala DC Open.
"I don't know much about Alex, but I think she's incredible. I think she's a star, and it's just really cool to have someone like her that people can look up to," Osaka said. "For me, I think it's amazing that she's such an inspiration. I really love hearing her talk because it's really cool the things that she says."
Nishikori, the highest-ranked Japanese player in the Open Era and runner-up at the 2014 US Open, where he famously upset then world No. 1 Novak Djokovic, was equally impressed.
"I hope she can jump up this year again. I know she's been playing really well since last year, two years ago," he said.
"She has a lot of weapons. She can be top 10 any time if she can stay healthy, play good, and mentally stay tough."