Alex Eala rediscovered her winning form Monday, sweeping France’s Diane Parry, 6-3, 6-1, in the first round of the WTA 500 Ningbo Open in China.
The 21-year-old Filipina needed just 1 hour, 17 minutes to end her three-match losing streak and secure her 34th tour-level victory of the season — a significant leap from the 15 wins she had recorded at that level before 2026.
Eala and Parry traded early breaks before the Filipina took control at 3-3, winning seven straight games to build a 6-3, 4-0 lead. She closed out the victory in 1 hour, 17 minutes, hitting 12 winners and committing just nine unforced errors against Parry’s 25.
“I’m very happy with my performance. I think it was a really good first round, tough first round,” Eala said in her post-match interview.
“Diane is a great player, and I think she’s had a really good year. Congrats to her for the year she’s done, and I’m really happy to be in the second round.”
The victory gave Eala a much-needed boost after opening-round losses at the Singapore Open and Wuhan Open. Her last tour-level win before Ningbo came against Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova in the second round of the US Open on Sept. 3. She then lost a three-set battle to American rising star and close friend Iva Jovic before suffering consecutive early exits in Asia.
Eala again drew strong support from Filipino fans, who filled the stands and cheered her throughout the match.
“Thank you, everyone. Thank you so much for the support. It really makes my job very fun, even in the difficult moments. I’m really happy to be here,” she said.
The win sends Eala into the second round, where she will face either sixth-seeded Diana Shnaider of Russia or qualifier Yulia Putintseva. She has yet to play either opponent.
Eala, who slipped two places to No. 20 in the latest rankings, will look to build on Monday’s performance as she continues her campaign in Ningbo.
For Parry, the defeat extended a difficult run. The Frenchwoman, who won her maiden WTA title at the Monterrey Open in August, suffered her fifth consecutive loss and remained winless in 12 hard-court matches against top-20 opponents. WTA/FROM THE WIRES