Alex Eala puts rivalry aside as she partners with Miami Open opponent Katie Volynets for Oeiras Ladies Open doubles in Portugal.
Less than a month after facing off in a tense first-round duel at the Miami Open, Alex Eala and Katie Volynets are joining forces—this time as doubles partners—at the Oeiras Ladies Open in Portugal.
Eala and Volynets are set to make their women’s doubles debut together on Wednesday night (Manila time), where they will face the fourth-seeded American duo of Christina Roca and Carmen Corley in the Round of 16.
The surprise pairing comes after both rising stars found early success in the singles draw of the same tournament.
Eala and Volynets, seeded no. 1 and no. 2, respectively, each cruised to dominant straight-set wins in their opening matches, building momentum heading into their doubles campaign.
But while their singles résumés are increasingly decorated—Eala fresh off a stunning semifinal run at the Miami Open that vaulted her into the WTA’s top-75 for the first time—their doubles partnership remains untested and unranked on the WTA Tour.
Their opponents, however, bring more doubles experience to the court. Roca and Corley enter the match as the tournament’s fourth seeds, with established chemistry and a game built on aggressive net play and quick court coverage.
For Eala and Volynets, it will be a case of blending their strong baseline games and finding rhythm as a duo, despite being singles specialists.
Interestingly, the duo’s last interaction on court was as opponents. In Miami, Eala prevailed over Volynets in straight sets, 6-3, 7-6(3), in the Round of 128.
Now, their shared ambition may serve them well in this new dynamic—especially as both continue their search for a breakthrough doubles title on the WTA Tour.
Their doubles outing comes ahead of their second-round singles matches, giving the two young guns a chance to sharpen their competitive edge before re-entering solo play.
For Eala, this doubles match is also part of a broader clay-court tune-up in preparation for her highly anticipated main draw debut at Roland-Garros next month.
While the focus remains on climbing the singles ladder, Eala has previously shown flashes of brilliance in doubles, especially in junior Grand Slam events.
Teaming up with Volynets—who shares her tenacity and tactical approach—could provide a spark that brings the two closer to their maiden doubles title.
(With reports from Luisa Morales)
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[Editor's note: This article was written by a member of the One Sports Digital with the help of AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]