By ADRIAN STEWART CO

Negrense tennis standout Alexandra Eala begins her campaign in the 2026 Linz Open with a first-round matchup against Austria’s Julia Grabher in the main draw on Tuesday, April 7.

Grabher, 29 years old, enters the tournament ranked No. 87 in the world.

She reached a career-best No. 54 in 2023 and has steadily built experience on the tour, including multiple Grand Slam appearances since making her major debut at the Australian Open that same year.

Her most recent stint in Melbourne ended in a second-round finish.

In the lead-up to Linz, the Austrian competed in a pair of WTA 125 events in Türkiye, advancing to the Round of 16 in her latest outing.

Meanwhile, Eala heads into the tournament riding solid form after reaching the Round of 16 in consecutive WTA 1000 events at Indian Wells and the Miami Open.

The winner of their opening-round encounter will advance to face former Grand Slam champion Jelena Ostapenko in the next stage./ASC, WDJ