INDIAN WELLS, California — Her stardom now likened to that of global basketball icon Michael Jordan, Filipina tennis sensation Alexandra 'Alex' Eala is set for a potential round of 32 clash against Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) world's Number 1 Aryna Sabalenka of Belarusia or else defending champion Mirra Andreeva of Russia.

This possibility has been foreseen given the 20-year-old's accelerated climb to be among the top 40 players of the world with her stepping into the hardcourts of Indian Wells as world's no. 31 and the first career seed with an opening round bye.

The country's rising star begins her campaign in this year's WTA 1000 Indian Wells Tennis Championships (also called the BNP Paribas Open for sponsorship reasons) fresh from a quarterfinal finish in the WTA 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships where she lost to American champion Cori Dionne 'Coco' Gauff.
Of course, Eala's facing Sabalenka, Andreeva or any other top 8 player will actually depend if she is able to hurdle and win her first match in the round of 64. This, too, is what Sabalenka and company must do in their respective opening round matches in order to forge a potential clash with Eala.

Draws aren't available until tonight but it's structured in a way that the top 8 seeds would meet the 25th to 32nd seeds and the top 9 to 16 players would clash against 17th to 24th seeds in the round of 32. Tournament organizers designed it this way so the top 1 to 8 seeds and top 9 to 16 seeds won't meet until the round of 16 (fourth round).

The top 32 players earned a first round bye, and they will face either unseeded players, wildcards, or qualifiers in their round of 64 matches. If Eala wins her round of 64 match, a dream match with top 8 players like Sabalenka, No. 2 Iga Swiatek, No. 3 Elena Rybakina, No. 4 Coco Gauff, No. 5 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Amanda Anisimova, No. 7 Jasmine Paolini, and No. 8 Andreeva is possible.

Eala has already faced Swiatek, Gauff, Pegula, Paolini, and Andreeva before. She stunned Swiatek at the Miami Open quarterfinals last year in March, 6-2, 7-5, but the Polish player got back at her at the Madrid Open the following month.

In the same Miami Open, Eala bowed to Pegula who ended her dream run with a 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3 semifinal win. Merely two weeks ago, Eala took on Gauff and Paolini at the Dubai Tennis Championships. Eala pulled off an upset against Paolini, 6-1, 7-6(5), in the round of 32, but yielded to Gauff in the quarters, 0-6, 2-6.
Accordingly, Eala hasn't faced Andreeva in an official WTA pro game before, although she already battled the Russian in two matches. Eala defeated Andreeva, 6-4, 6-0, at the 2022 US Juniors Open which she eventually won. Eala then fell to Andreeva at the Macau Masters last December, 4-6, 2-6.