Alexandra Eala heads into the Ningbo Open looking to reverse a recent run of early exits, including a first-round loss to Han Shi at the Wuhan Open and a second-round defeat to Tatiana Prozorova at the Singapore Tennis Open. The matchup against French player Diane Parry marks the start of Eala’s campaign at the Ningbo Tennis Center, located in the Zhejiang province of eastern China. Eala, who turned professional last year, secured her maiden WTA 500 title at the Mubadala Open in Washington, D.C. in August 2026. Her opponent, 24-year-old Diane Parry, is currently the top-ranked French women’s singles player and captured her own WTA 500 title at the Monterrey Open in Mexico on August 30.
This tournament appearance comes as Eala officially misses out on the season-ending WTA Finals in Indian Wells, scheduled for November 8-15. Eala, currently ranked No. 18 in the WTA Race to Indian Wells with 2,181 points, fell behind the required cutoff threshold of No. 8, which is held by Linda Noskova with 4,354 points. This gap emerged after Eala opted to compete in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games instead of the WTA 1000 China Open, a decision that prioritized representing her country over securing additional ranking points. She ultimately earned a bronze medal in Nagoya for her efforts.
Parry, who reached a career-high ranking of World No. 30 in September, enters the match coming off a first-round exit at the Wuhan Open. Known for her one-handed backhand, the French player has recently demonstrated resilience on the court, including saving multiple set points during her Monterrey title run. The outcome of this Round of 32 clash will determine who advances in the Ningbo draw.