Alex Eala to face Colombia's Emiliana Arango in French Open first round

Metro Manila, Philippines - A familiar foe stands in the way of Alex Eala's grand slam main draw debut at the 2025 French Open.

The 20-year-old Filipina tennis star, currently ranked No. 69 in the world, will take on world No. 88 Emiliana Arango of Colombia in the first round of the upcoming prestigious tournament on May 25.

This will be the second time the two will clash on the court as Arango prevailed over Eala in a come-from-behind victory in the qualifiers of the Miami Open last year.

Things are different now as Eala will be carrying the momentum she gained from her dream run in Miami - where she stunned three former grand slam winners in Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek - two months ago.

If Eala advances, she could either face Qinwen Zheng of China or Russia's Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova in the next round.

Eala lost to Zheng in the 2023 Asian Games semifinals held in Hangzhou, China.

The 2025 French Open will run from May 25 to June 28.