Alex Eala is riding one of the most electrifying waves in women's tennis right now, but a scheduling decision in Toronto is raising eyebrows among those tracking her rapid rise.
The 21-year-old Filipino star claimed her first WTA Tour title at the Washington Open last week, defeating Jessica Pegula in the final after also knocking out Naomi Osaka and Elina Svitolina. It was a remarkable run against three of the world's top players, and it lifted Eala to world No. 20 in the rankings.
Critically, Eala chose not to play doubles in Washington, allowing her to channel everything into singles. The result speaks for itself. Now heading into the Canadian Open in Toronto, she has reversed course and committed to partnering Venus Williams in doubles, a combination the two previously tried at Bad Homburg on grass, where they reached the quarter-finals.
The timing adds extra pressure. The Washington final was delayed across two days because of a thunderstorm, meaning Eala arrived in Toronto just 24 hours before her first scheduled singles match against Alycia Parks. Adding a doubles commitment to that compressed schedule means she could be competing every single day at the tournament with virtually no recovery time.
Her doubles match alongside Williams, against Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova, is slated for Thursday, slotting in right alongside her singles obligations. For a player who has contested five matches in the past week alone, that workload is significant.
With only 70 ranking points to defend through the remainder of the North American hardcourt swing, Eala has a genuine opportunity to keep climbing. Whether the doubles partnership helps or hinders that goal remains to be seen. TennisDraw users have been closely monitoring Eala's projected path through the Toronto draw after her stunning Washington performances.
