Alex Eala suffers first-round exit in Strasbourg Open

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Alex Eala suffered a rare first-round exit after losing to Ukraine’s Oleksandra Oliynykova, 6-3, 5-7, 3-6, in the Strasbourg Open on May 18, 2026, at the Tennis Club de Strasbourg in France.

After a grueling three-set showdown that lasted nearly three hours, Oliynykova reached the finish line as she pulled off a dramatic reverse-sweep comeback to stun the Filipina ace.

It seemed like Eala was bound for another efficient outing after taking care of the first set, scoring a crucial break point in the eighth game to establish a commanding 5-3 lead.

Oliynykova nearly dragged the opener to another set after a return ace on the first possession, but Eala wrapped things up with three consecutive deep serves to draw first blood in the match.

However, the complexion of the match entirely changed after Oliynykova raced to a 4-0 lead in the following set to regain her footing.

From a sloppy baseline game in the first set, the Ukrainian ace quickly recovered after shifting tactics as she altered her hitting pace, which disrupted Eala’s return rhythm.

Although Oliynykova dominated the first half of the second set, Eala came right back with a breathtaking 4-0 run, breaking her twice while holding serve in pivotal moments to stay within striking distance.

Just when Eala thought she could maintain her power drives, Oliynykova played spoiler after taking the last two games, bolstered by a courageous hold in the 11th game and a break point to conclude the equalizer.

Exhausted and slowed by early unforced errors, Eala’s rebounding window shortened when Oliynykova blitzed to a 5-3 lead.

Down 2-3 after Eala broke back, Oliynykova showed nerves of steel as she swept the remaining four games to complete the stunner in France.

Oliynykova wrapped up the impressive win with 115 total points won, including 57 on the return, two service aces, and seven break points.

On the other hand, the 20-year-old Eala trailed by just two points in the winners department with 113 but struggled on her serves after committing three double faults.