The tennis world witnessed another impressive victory for Alexandra "Alex" Eala, as she continued her winning streak in the 2026 season.
In a stunning comeback, Ms. Eala dethroned Washington titleholder Leylah Fernandez of Canada, erasing a 1-5 deficit in the second set to complete the sweep and advance to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open on Thursday at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center.
The 21-year-old Pinay ace rose from the ashes after a dominating 6-2 opener, unleashing a 6-1 bomb on Ms. Fernandez in the final set to seal the win.
Ms. Eala, WTA No. 28, will now take a well-deserved day off before plunging back into action on Saturday for a seat in the Final Four against either world No. 10 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine or No. 108 Polina Kudermetova of Uzbekistan.
Ms. Eala's victory showcased her experience and patience, as she worked out solutions and maintained a strong mentality to overcome her opponent.
"I think patience was key there. I was just trying to work it out and have a strong mentality in terms of trying to find solutions," Ms. Eala said.
Ms. Eala's win over Ms. Fernandez marked a significant milestone, as she became the first Filipino player to beat a fellow left-handed opponent in the WTA tour.
The Filipino tennis star has been on a roll lately, having unseated Wimbledon queen Iga Swiatek of Poland in her previous match, and she is now focused on resting and re-energizing for the next round of the 500-level tourney.
"I'm ready if I need to play right away but it's nice to have a day off," Ms. Eala smiled, as she looks to continue her magical run in the US Open.
