MANILA, Philippines – Filipina tennis star Alex Eala's campaign at the 2026 Cincinnati Open came to an end in the Round of 32 after falling to world No. 10 Amanda Anisimova, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6.
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| Photo courtesy: AFP |
Just hours before her Cincinnati Open debut, Eala climbed to a new career-high No. 18 in the WTA live rankings, moving two spots up from No. 20.
The latest live rankings, updated on August 15, reflected Eala's continued rise following her breakthrough title run at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington earlier this month.
Eala earned a first-round bye before opening her Cincinnati campaign against Romania's Elena-Gabriela Ruse in the Round of 64.
The No. 17 seed dominated Ruse, 6-1, 3-0, before the Romanian retired due to a right-foot injury during a weather suspension, sending Eala into the Round of 32.
Eala then faced No. 9 seed Anisimova in their first career meeting, taking the opening set before the American rallied to win the next two sets and end the Filipina's Cincinnati run.
The Cincinnati Open is one of the final major WTA 1000 events before the US Open and was held from August 13 to 23, 2026, at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.
Alex Eala Cincinnati Open Schedule
Singles
Round of 32 — Result
Alex Eala vs. Amanda Anisimova
Result: Amanda Anisimova won, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Date: August 18, 2026 (Philippine time)
Venue: Lindner Family Tennis Center, Mason, Ohio, USA
Eala made a strong start against Anisimova, winning the opening set, 6-4, before the world No. 10 fought back to force a deciding set.
Eala briefly took a 2-0 lead in the third set, but Anisimova won six consecutive games to complete the comeback after two hours and 28 minutes.
Eala's Cincinnati Open Results
Round of 64: Eala def. Elena-Gabriela Ruse, 6-1, 3-0 ret.
Round of 32: Amanda Anisimova def. Eala, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
Eala's Cincinnati campaign ended with a Round of 32 appearance after she entered the tournament on the heels of a Round of 16 run at the Canadian Open and her maiden WTA singles title in Washington.
Eala's Cincinnati Open Draw
Eala entered the tournament as the No. 17 seed and was positioned in a section that included Anisimova, No. 6 seed Linda Nosková, No. 27 seed Clara Tauson, and Daria Kasatkina.
She also had a potential path toward a quarterfinal meeting with No. 3 seed Jessica Pegula, whom she defeated in the Washington final.
How to Watch the Cincinnati Open
During Eala's Cincinnati Open campaign, fans in the Philippines, United States, and Great Britain could follow the tournament through the following broadcast and streaming platforms:
Philippines
- Cignal TV – Premier Sports 2 on Channel 273 HD, available to subscribers with Prepaid Load 500 and up or Postpaid Plan 520 and up.
- Cignal Play – Stream Premier Sports 2 through the Cignal Play app for eligible subscribers.
- BlastTV – Watch Premier Sports 2 through the BlastTV app at no additional cost.
Premier Sports 2 is also available on Sky TV, Sky Direct, and Samsung TV Plus.
United States
Tennis Channel – Live coverage of the Cincinnati Open was available through the Tennis Channel and Tennis Channel app.
Great Britain
Sky Sports Tennis – Live coverage was available through Sky Sports Tennis, with streaming via NOW.
Despite her Cincinnati exit, Eala's North American hard-court swing has been highlighted by her maiden WTA title in Washington, a Canadian Open Round of 16 appearance, and a new career-high No. 18 position in the WTA live rankings.
With the Cincinnati campaign complete, Eala now turns her attention to the US Open, where she will look to build on her breakthrough 2026 season.
— The Summit Express
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