SAO PAULO —Rising Filipina star Alex Eala squares off against tenacious Indonesian Janice Tjen in the 2025 Sao Paolo Open on Friday, with a coveted spot in the semifinals on the line.
The highly anticipated clash pits two of Southeast Asia’s most promising talents against each other, as both players have navigated a challenging draw with impressive victories.
The upcoming SP Open quarterfinal will be a first-ever professional meeting between the two.
The no. 61 Eala enters the match with momentum, having recently won her first WTA 125 title in Guadalajara last week and reaching her third quarterfinal at a WTA 250-level or higher tournament this year.
The 20-year-old Eala battled Argentinian netter Julia Riera for 77 minutes before seizing a 6-1, 6-4, triumph on Thursday morning in the women’s singles second round to barge into the quarterfinals and set up a duel with the Indonesian.
Meanwhile, Tjen, who is making her debut in a WTA quarterfinal, is the first Indonesian woman to reach this stage since Angelique Widjaja in 2004.
The 23-year-old Tjen pulled off an easy win over Slovakia’s Martina Okalova to arrange a duel with Eala.
Improving 19 spots in the latest world rankings released last Monday, Tjen rose to a career-high No. 130.
Both Eala and Tjen have recently made significant strides in their professional careers, achieving historic milestones for their respective countries.
At the 2025 US Open, Eala became the first Filipino to win a Grand Slam singles main draw match, upsetting 14th seed Clara Tauson in the first round.
Similarly, Tjen made history for Indonesia by winning her first-round match at the same tournament against 24th seed Veronika Kudermetova.
She was the first Indonesian woman to win a Grand Slam main draw match since Widjaja in 2003.
Both Eala and Tjen were eliminated in the second round.
