MANILA, Philippines – Filipina tennis star Alex Eala continues her North American hard-court swing at the 2026 Cincinnati Open, where she enters the WTA 1000 tournament as the No. 17 seed.
 |
| Photo courtesy: AFP |
Eala earned a first-round bye and will begin her campaign directly in the Round of 64, giving the 21-year-old additional time to recover following a demanding two-week stretch that included her maiden WTA singles title in Washington and a Round of 16 appearance at the Canadian Open.
The Cincinnati Open runs from August 13 to 23, 2026, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio, and serves as one of the final major WTA 1000 events before the US Open.
Eala, who recently climbed to a career-high World No. 20 after winning the Washington title, will face Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the second round. Ruse advanced to the second round after defeating Magda Linette, 6-0, 6-3, in the Round of 128.
The Cincinnati field features several of the world's top players, including top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka, Elena Rybakina, Jessica Pegula, Coco Gauff, and Mirra Andreeva.
Reigning champion Iga Swiatek is also part of the star-studded field after winning the 2025 edition by defeating Jasmine Paolini in the final.
The Cincinnati Open has been a WTA 1000 event since 2009 and is played on hard courts as part of the North American swing leading into the US Open.
Alex Eala Cincinnati Open Schedule
Singles
Round of 64
Alex Eala vs. Elena-Gabriela Ruse
Date: August 15, 2026 (Philippine time)
Time: 10:00 PM
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, Ohio, USA
Eala's Cincinnati Open Draw
Eala is seeded No. 17 and is positioned in a section of the draw that also includes Zeynep Sönmez, Daria Kasatkina, and No. 9 seed Amanda Anisimova.
Other notable players in her section include No. 6 seed Linda Nosková, No. 27 seed Clara Tauson, and wildcard Katie Volynets.
A potential quarterfinal matchup could also put Eala on course for another meeting with No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, whom she defeated in the Washington final to claim her maiden WTA title.
How to Watch Alex Eala at the Cincinnati Open
Fans in the Philippines can follow Eala's Cincinnati Open campaign 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.
With a first-round bye providing valuable recovery time, Eala now looks to build on her breakthrough Washington title and Canadian Open run as she continues her preparation for the US Open.
— The Summit Express
Start the conversation. Share your thoughts, insights, or reactions, and connect with fellow readers.