‎Alex Eala Falls to Oliynykova in Strasbourg Open Thriller

Alex Eala's final warm-up before the French Open saw her fall to an early exit at the Strasbourg Open following a three-set loss to Ukrainian qualifier Oleksandra Oliynykova on Monday. Robert Prange/Getty Images

STRASBOURG, France — Alex Eala suffered a tough first-round loss to Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova at the Strasbourg Open on May 18 after a nearly three-hour battle on clay.

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‎Eala, currently ranked World No. 38, won the opening set 6–3 but failed to hold off Oliynykova’s response as the Ukrainian rallied to win 3–6, 7–5, 6–3 in the WTA 500 tournament held in Strasbourg, France.

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‎The match served as Eala’s final tune-up before the French Open, making the defeat significant as she looked to build momentum heading into Roland Garros. Oliynykova turned the tables around with stronger defense, longer rallies, and consistent pressure in the final two sets.

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‎One of the key moments came in the second set when Oliynykova raced to a 4–0 lead before surviving Eala’s comeback attempt to force a deciding set. The Ukrainian maintained control late in the match to complete the comeback victory.

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‎Despite the loss, Eala continues to show progress on the professional tour and remains one of Asia’s fastest-rising tennis stars.