MANILA, Philippines – Filipina tennis star Alex Eala's impressive run at the 2026 National Bank Open (Canadian Open) came to an end in the Round of 16 after falling to No. 12 seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland, 4-6, 0-6, in Toronto.
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| Alex Eala beats McNally, advances to Canadian Open Round of 16. Photo courtesy: AFP |
The 21-year-old defeated American Alycia Parks, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, in the second round after receiving a first-round bye in the WTA 1000 tournament.
Eala then battled past American Caty McNally, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, to reach the Round of 16 and extend her winning streak to seven consecutive singles victories.
The victory over McNally was particularly impressive as Eala battled through pain in her right foot after taking a tumble during the match and having the foot wrapped.
However, Bencic proved too strong in the Round of 16, taking the opening set before dominating the second set with a 6-0 bagel to book her place in the quarterfinals.
The loss snapped Eala's seven-match winning streak in Toronto and brought an end to her singles campaign at the prestigious WTA 1000 event.
The Canadian Open is one of the biggest tournaments on the WTA Tour, with the singles champion earning 1,000 ranking points.
Alex Eala Canadian Open Schedule
Singles
Round of 16 — Result
Alex Eala vs. Belinda Bencic
Result: Belinda Bencic won, 6-4, 6-0
Date: Monday, August 10, 2026 (Philippine time)
Venue: Sobeys Stadium, Toronto, Canada
Bencic, the No. 12 seed and a former Olympic champion, advanced to the quarterfinals after ending Eala's impressive run in Toronto.
Doubles
Round of 32 — Result
Alex Eala/Venus Williams vs. Miyu Kato/Liudmila Samsonova
Result: Kato/Samsonova won, 6-4, 6-3
Eala's doubles campaign with tennis legend Venus Williams also ended in the Round of 32 after the pair fell to Kato and Samsonova.
Eala's Canadian Open Results
Round of 64: Eala def. Alycia Parks, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
Round of 32: Eala def. Caty McNally, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
Round of 16: Belinda Bencic def. Eala, 6-4, 6-0
How to Watch Alex Eala at the Canadian Open
During Eala's Canadian Open campaign, fans in the Philippines could watch her singles matches live on Premier Sports 2 through the following platforms:
- Cignal TV – Premier Sports 2 (Channel 273 HD), available to subscribers with Prepaid Load 500 and up or Postpaid Plan 520 and up.
- Cignal Play – Stream the matches live through the Cignal Play app for eligible subscribers.
- BlastTV – Download the BlastTV app and watch Premier Sports 2 at no additional cost.
Premier Sports 2 is also available on Sky TV, Sky Direct, and Samsung TV Plus, giving Filipino fans multiple ways to follow the tournament.
Despite the loss, Eala leaves Toronto after reaching the Round of 16 and extending her winning streak to seven matches, building on the momentum from her maiden WTA singles title in Washington.
— The Summit Express
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