WTA No. 69 Alex Eala withdraws from Cincinnati Open to rest injured shoulder ahead of US Open – BusinessWorld Online
ALEXANDRA “ALEX” EALA has withdrawn from the Cincinnati Open to rest her minor shoulder injury and ensure a tip-top shape for the US Open later this month.
No less than the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) broke the news on Thursday on Ms. Eala, who’s automatically seeded into the main draw of the Cincinnati tourney as the 65th ranked player in the world.
The Cincinnati Open slated on Aug. 7 to 18 is the last WTA 1000 level tourney before the US Open on Aug. 24 to Sept. 7 in New York.
Mexico’s Renata Zarazua, Ms. Eala’s partner in the 2025 French Open doubles, will take her spot in the main draw.
Ms. Eala, with a kinesiology tape on her left shoulder, had the injury in her return to the hardcourt in the National Bank Open in Montreal, Canada earlier this week following a month-long vacation in the Philippines.
The 20-year-old Filipina ace braved the injury and snatched the first set from former Grand Slam champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic, 6-3, only to run out of steam in the next two, 1-6, 2-6, for an early exit.
“Pretty in pink. Montreal was a short but sweet trip. I had so much fun out on court! Time to rest and recover,” said Ms. Eala on her social media post.
Ms. Eala, a lefty specialist now nursing a left shoulder injury, will shoot for a historic main draw victory in the US Open after foiled attempts in the French Open and Wimbledon.
She absorbed first-round exits in both Grand Slams but will have some added motivation by her side after scoring the country’s first-ever WTA final stint in the Eastbourne Open in England.
Ms. Eala also reigned supreme in the girls’ single division of the 2022 US Open to become the first Filipina junior Grand Slam champion ever for added fire in her bid.
But first things first for Ms. Eala and that’s to recuperate for more than three weeks before another shot at history. — John Bryan Ulanday