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Tag: Zeynep Sonmez

  • Alex Eala shares birthday moment with first-round French Open foe Iva Jovic 

    Alex Eala shares birthday moment with first-round French Open foe Iva Jovic 

    Before stepping onto one of tennis’ grandest stages, Alex Eala first got a reminder of the friendships that have quietly grown alongside her rapid rise on tour.

     

    Just days before her opening-round match at French Open, the Filipina tennis sensation celebrated her 21st birthday in Paris not with a lavish party or a break from training, but with some of the very players she now shares the biggest stages with.

     

    During a practice session at Roland Garros, Eala was surprised with a birthday cake by American teen star Iva Jovic, Turkish standout Zeynep Sonmez, and Germany’s Eva Lys. Photos shared online by tennis photographer Owen Reynoldson captured a smiling Eala enjoying a rare light moment before the intensity of Grand Slam competition fully kicks in.

     

    The celebration did not stop there. Later that evening, the group spent time together over dinner in Paris, offering a glimpse into the friendships that often exist behind the fierce competitiveness of the professional tour.

     

    That warmth, however, will temporarily be put aside on Monday (Manila time) when Eala opens her singles campaign against Jovic in a matchup between two rising stars who know each other well beyond the baseline.

     

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    Now ranked world No. 38, Eala enters the clay-court major hoping to improve on her first-round exit in her Roland Garros debut last year. Jovic, meanwhile, continues to establish herself as one of the brightest young American prospects on tour.

     

    Their connection extends beyond singles competition. Earlier this season, the two teamed up in doubles tournaments at Indian Wells and the ASB Classic, building chemistry as partners before now preparing to meet as opponents on one of tennis’ biggest courts.

     

    Eala’s doubles campaign this week will also feature another familiar face. The Filipina ace is set to partner with Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko, another close friend on tour, as they begin their run Tuesday against the experienced pairing of Leylah Fernandez and Diana Shnaider.

     

    For Eala, Paris has already become more than just another tournament stop. Before the pressure, expectations, and spotlight of Roland Garros fully take over, it first became the setting for a quiet reminder that even at the highest level of tennis, friendships can still exist alongside competition.

     

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  • Alex Eala, Zeynep Sonmez join forces for Madrid Open doubles campaign 

    Alex Eala, Zeynep Sonmez join forces for Madrid Open doubles campaign 

    Momentum can shift quickly in a tournament as stacked as the Madrid Open and for Alexandra “Alex” Eala, the challenge is no longer just about winning matches, but sustaining rhythm across two fronts.

     

    On one hand, the 20-year-old Filipino is building confidence in singles after a composed 6-3, 6-3 victory over former world No. 11 Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova. On the other, she now pivots to doubles, where familiarity may be her biggest weapon.

     

    Eala and her close friend, Turkish player Zeynep Sonmez, open their doubles campaign against the seasoned tandem of Chan Hao-ching and Fanny Stollar in the Round of 32. Their doubles campaign kicks off on April 23, Thursday at 5:00 PM (Philippine Time).

     

    What makes this pairing intriguing isn’t just the numbers—it’s the contrast in identity. Unlike their opponents, who are teaming up for the first time, Eala and Sonmez are already familiar with each other’s tendencies, having partnered in three previous tournaments. 

     

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    Their first collaboration at W60 Nantes in October 2023 ended in a quarterfinal run. A month later, they pushed further at W40 Petange, reaching the semifinals, and repeated that result at W75 Trnava in February 2024.

     

    Meanwhile, both sides enter Madrid with different forms of momentum. Eala is coming off her singles breakthrough and will next face Elise Mertens, the world’s top-ranked doubles player in the Round of 64, adding another layer of challenge to her campaign.

     

    Sonmez, for her part, secured a 7-5, 6-2 win over Carlota Martínez Cirez, showing she, too, arrives match-ready.

     

    Eala herself hasn’t advanced past the Round of 32 in doubles recently, having exited Indian Wells last March alongside Iva Jovic.

     

    Yet Madrid presents a different kind of opportunity. For Eala, this week is less about choosing between singles and doubles, and more about proving she can grow into both—leveraging her rising confidence in one discipline and translating it into the other. 

     

    And with Sonmez by her side, the Filipino isn’t starting from scratch—she’s building on something already tested.

     

    In a draw where experience heavily favors their opponents, Eala and Sönmez instead bring continuity—a quieter advantage, but one that could matter when points tighten and instincts take over. 

     

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