Alex Eala's nightmare Cincinnati Open route revealed with Aryna Sabalenka waiting at the end

Rising tennis star Alex Eala has been handed a difficult draw in this year’s Cincinnati Open and could even face WTA World No.1 Aryna Sabalenka at the Masters 1000 event.

Eala is arguably the most popular female tennis player on the planet right now, with fans turning out in their droves to support the Filipina during the early part of the North American hard-court swing.

The 21-year-old became the first Filipina to win a WTA 500 crown when she defeated Jessica Pegula in the final of the Washington Open earlier in August.

However, she could not replicate that success at the Canadian Open earlier this week, losing to Switzerland’s Belinda Bencic in the round of 16 in Toronto.

But Eala will be back on court in no time, as she is set to compete in the Cincinnati Open.

The youngster was given a first-round bye alongside Sabalenka, Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, Ekaterina Alexandrova, Madison Keys, Barbora Krejcikova, Leylah Fernandez and Donna Vekic, with the aforementioned players among the top 20-ranked players.

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Eala’s campaign gets underway at the round of 64 stage, where she is set to face the winner of the Magda Linette and Elena-Gabriela Ruse match.

Should the world No.20 progress, then she could face 10th-ranked and two-time Grand Slam finalist Amanda Anisimova in the round of 32.

If Eala comes through the tough test against Anisimova, then she may face Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in the fourth round, with the Czech winning both of their previous matches.

Come the quarter-finals, Eala may face Pegula, whom she defeated in the Washington Open final.

And if Eala manages to navigate the tough test against Anisimova, then a potential date with two-time Grand Slam winner and 2026 Australian Open champion Elena Rybakina could await in the semi-finals, with the pair previously facing off twice and boasting a win apiece.

If Eala defies the odds and reaches the final of the Cincinnati event, then the best female tennis player on the planet, Sabalenka, could be waiting for her.

Of course, this is a rough guide to who Eala could face if all results play out as expected, which is never a given in tennis.

After the Masters 1000 event, Eala will turn her focus to the final major of the season, the US Open.

Alex Eala workload concerns addressed by uncle before Cincinnati Open

Concerns have already been raised about the amount of tennis Eala is playing, with the Filipina already signing up for the Singapore Open, with appearances at WTA events in Wuhan and Beijing also a possibility.

Her uncle, Noli, who is a sports executive, addressed the issue via X on August 9:

“Many are concerned about Alex’s schedule, playing big tour events week after week.

“Fortunately or unfortunately, as a top-tier player, Alex is mandated by WTA rules to play all WTA 1000 tournaments plus all Slams in order to total at least 18-20 tournaments per season.

“So Canada and Cincinnati are must-play, as well as the Beijing and Wuhan Opens, in addition to some WTA 500s.

“And this does not even account for her desire to play for the Philippines National Team.

“The price of success.”