MANILA, Philippines – Over the next two weeks, Alex Eala will try to steady the ship of her pro career and shake off her slump as she competes in two International Tennis Federation (ITF) W25 events in North Africa and Europe.

Eala, who turned 18 on Tuesday, May 23, has had a rough first five months in the pro circuit this year.

Competing exclusively in the top-tier Women’s Tennis Association and high-level ITF W60 events this year, Eala has been eliminated in the opening-round matches of all the events she has joined except the ITF W60 tiff in Slovakia last March where she made it to the second round.

She has lost her last four opening-round matches in straight sets. Although still the highest-ranked Southeast Asian in the world rankings, Eala has since dropped from a career-high of 214th to 264th in the world, just a few rungs higher than her former doubles partner Priska Nugroho of Indonesia who is now 273rd.

Eala, the 2022 US Open juniors singles champion, is slated to see action in the W25 Magic Tour Monastir which will be held from May 22 to 28 at the hard courts of Hotel Skanes Family in Monastir, Tunisia.

The Filipina teen star is the highest-ranked player in the entry list, so chances are high she will be named the top seed of the tournament when the main draw is released. But this does not guarantee an easy path to the title as Eala will be facing some solid competition in the $25,000 tournament.

Posing the biggest challenge will be Russian-born Anastasia Kulikova of Finland, who less than a year ago was ranked 179th in the world. The 23-year-old Kulikova has won eight ITF titles in her career.

Also in the field is 32-year-old veteran Isabella Shinikova, who holds a career-high ranking of 133 and has been an ITF champion 23 times.

From Monastir, Eala will head back to her home base in Spain as she is penciled to see action in the main draw of the I Open Internacional Femenino, calendared from May 29 to June 4.

Eala could find herself seeded as high as third in the $25,000 ITF event which will be held in Yecla, Spain.

She will be up against a tough field which could include world No. 228 Sakura Kosogi of Japan and 25-year-old Aussie Maddison Inglis, who made the third round of the 2022 Australian Open women’s singles. – Rappler.com