MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala produced another sensational performance on Sunday (Manila time), defeating four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka, 6-4, 6-2, to secure a place in the final of the 2026 Mubadala DC Open.
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| Photo courtesy: Rafa Nadal Academy |
The victory sent the 21-year-old Filipina world No. 28 to the first WTA 500 final of her career and kept alive her bid for a maiden WTA Tour-level title.
Eala showed remarkable composure from the opening games, breaking Osaka early before refusing to be rattled when the Japanese star briefly took a 4-3 lead in the first set.
The Filipina immediately responded by winning the next three games, repeatedly racing to 40-0 leads to wrest back momentum and claim the opening set.
Carrying that confidence into the second set, Eala dictated the rallies with aggressive baseline play and completed the straight-set victory in just one hour and 16 minutes.
"I think I played really well and, of course, such a meaningful match against a great player," Eala said after the match.
"I'm really happy to share the court against Naomi," she added.
The semifinal triumph capped another impressive week for Eala, who also eliminated defending champion Leylah Fernandez and second seed Elina Svitolina in successive rounds to reach the championship match.
It also marked Eala's second career WTA final after finishing runner-up in Eastbourne last year and further highlighted her breakthrough season on the professional tour.
Awaiting the Filipina in the final is world No. 3 and top seed Jessica Pegula, who defeated Russia's Diana Shnaider, 7-5, 6-4, in the other semifinal.
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| Photo courtesy: WTA / Facebook |
The championship carries more than prestige, with the winner set to receive USD 252,000 (around ₱15 million) along with the biggest title of the tournament.
Pegula previously beat Eala during the Miami Open last year, but praised the rising Filipina by saying, "Alex, I'm a big fan of her; she's the future of the tour and she's already here."
Eala, however, remains confident ahead of the title showdown, saying she trusts herself because "I'm in the final for a reason" as she looks to make history by capturing her first WTA Tour crown.
— The Summit Express
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