Following her historic Wimbledon run and a brief return home to the Philippines, Alex Eala is back on the competition circuit, this time at the Mubadala DC Open, in preparation for the 2026 US Open, which starts August 23. And despite concerns about her physical and mental state, given that she withdrew from the doubles competition, the 21-year-old is proving she is more than capable back on the court. Case in point: she advanced to the quarterfinals of the DC Open, and she defeated the competition’s reigning champion to get there.
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Alex Eala Reaches the Quarterfinals of the DC Open
During the Round of 16, Eala was set to face off against Filipino-Canadian Leylah Fernandez. The two have competed against each other before at the Stuttgart Open in April, where Fernandez defeated the Filipina tennis star 6-1, 6-4 during the Round of 32. Having previously lost to her and Fernandez being a formidable opponent regardless, Eala had a lot to live up to, especially since Fernandez is also the reigning champion of the women’s singles DC Open title.
But as is typical of her professional career so far, Eala defied expectations by denying the defending titleholder a back-to-back championship. It wasn’t an easy match, with Eala at one point behind by multiple points, but with grit and determination, she rallied for an impressive victory following a tie-breaker with a score of 6-2, 7-6 (1) in the one-hour and 53-minute match.
Coming back from 5-1 down in the second 😤
— wta (@WTA) July 29, 2026
Alex Eala defeats defending champion Fernandez 6-2, 7-6(1)!#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/O0vvg9RAzB
The win earned Eala a spot in the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament and is reminiscent of when she defeated Wimbledon’s reigning champion Iga Swiatek not too long ago. This makes it the second straight competition where she took out the defending champion. It’s also the latest victory for what has been a strong showing so far for Eala at the DC Open. During the Round of 32, Eala bested Zheng Qinwen in a comeback win of 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 to advance in the competition, knocking out the reigning Asian Games champion and gold medalist in women’s tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In fact, the win meant that Eala achieved a rare feat of defeating all three Paris Olympics medalists, with the other two being silver medalist Donna Vekic and bronze medalist Iga Swiatek. Yet again, Eala adds to her lore as a giant slayer, having defeated champions, Olympic medalists, and Grand Slam winners as she continuously grows and develops as an athlete.
Up next for the Filipina tennis sensation is the quarterfinals match this Saturday, where she’ll go up against either Elina Svitolina or Polina Kudermetova for a spot in the semifinals.
Featured Image and Photo: MUBADALA DC OPEN (via Instagram)
Frequently Asked Questions
Alex Eala defeated defending champion Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6(1) in the Round of 16 of the Mubadala DC Open, rallying from 5-1 down in the second set during a match that lasted one hour and 53 minutes.
Leylah Fernandez is a Filipino-Canadian player and the reigning DC Open women’s singles champion. She had previously beaten Eala at the Stuttgart Open, making this Eala’s first win over Fernandez and her second straight upset of a defending titleholder.
Beyond Fernandez, Eala beat Zheng Qinwen — the reigning Asian Games champion and 2024 Paris Olympics gold medalist — in the DC Open’s Round of 32, and previously defeated Wimbledon champion Iga Swiatek earlier in the season.
The win completed Eala’s sweep of all three 2024 Paris Olympics women’s tennis medalists: gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, silver medalist Donna Vekic, and bronze medalist Iga Swiatek — reinforcing her reputation as a giant slayer on tour.
Eala plays the winner of Elina Svitolina versus Polina Kudermetova in the quarterfinals this Saturday, with a win advancing her to the semifinals of the Mubadala DC Open.
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