Since April, world no. 4 junior player Alexandra Eala and other athletes-scholars of the Rafa Nadal Academy stayed in shape, while in home quarantine in Mallorca, Spain.
After six months in isolation, the 15-year-old Eala will finally see action in the 2020 French Open’s Roland Garros Junior Tennis Championships this Sunday.
And with Eala wield the no. 2 seeding in the main draw, her family and supporters are hoping that she will be able to get far.
“Yes, she’s in Paris now for the French Open Roland Garros Junior Championships. She’s excited to be competing for the first time in the tournament,” said Alex’s father Michael Francis.
The young Eala has never been seeded in the main draw and hopes are high that she will be able to keep up with the likes of world junior no. 1 Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra.
The presence of world no. 6 Elsa Jacquemot of France, world no. 8 Polina Kudermetova, along with world no. 9 and 10th netters Weronika Baszak of Poland and Kamilla Bartone is also expected to make competition tough for Eala.
“She’s excited to be competing for the first time in the tournament. Although she played the Qualifying Rounds last 2018, this is the first time she gets to play in the main site of Roland Garros,” added the elder Michael.
Eala was supposed to enter a series of tournaments early this year.
But last March, Eala skipped her second professional tournament due to the coronavirus threat in Tunisia.
Her coaches from the RNA asked Eala to return to Mallorca, together with other scholars so they can isolate themselves from the ongoing pandemic.
Spain is one the two European countries with the most reported coronavirus infections, but has recently logged the lowest daily death toll since March 23.
Alex’s father said the qualifying rounds have historically been played in another club venue which is about 45 minutes away from the main site.
And this will be the first for Alex when she gets to compete at the Roland Garros’ main court.