Alexandra Eala scored her seventh Prime 20 win of the season for her first profession hard-court closing in DC.
By Richard Pagliaro | Saturday, August 1, 2026
Picture credit score: BNP Paribas Open Fb
Turning her again to the court docket, Alexandra Eala tuned up for battle taking shadow swings like a boxer throwing blows popping out of the nook.
Ripping menacing drives down the road, Eala knocked Naomi Osaka out 6-4, 6-2 to roll into her maiden arduous court docket closing on the Mubadala DC Open as followers waved Philippine flags in celebration.
“I’m tremendous happy with my efficiency,” Eala instructed Tennis Channel’s Brett Haber. “I feel performed very well. I had an incredible mentality and I stayed locked in all day.”
It’s Eala’s second Tour-level closing following her loss to Maya Joint within the 2025 Eastbourne closing on grass.
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The 21-year-old Filipina phenom was not fazed going through one of many sport’s most imposing servers. Eala transformed 4 of 12 break factors and repeatedly jolted Osaka rocketing returns that left the Japanese lunging.
Although the Eala second serve is her shakiest stroke, she confounded Osaka along with her slider serve right now. Eala gained a mind-boggling 15 of 19 second-serve factors, together with taking 9 of 10 second-serve factors within the first set.
Although Eala’s second serve was the slowest of the 4 semifinalists, Osaka was reluctant to change her return place, transfer up nearer to the baseline and attempt to take the return on the rise.
Which will have been as a result of Eala was persistently stinging the previous two-time US Open champion with stinging first strikes to stretch the court docket and put Osaka in off stability positions.
All of it added as much as Eala’s seventh Prime 20 win of the season propelling her to a career-high ranking of No. 24 in the WTA Live Rankings. Eala successfully used Osaka’s energy towards her.
“She undoubtedly has aura and she or he undoubtedly has energy, I can inform you,” Eala mentioned. “I keep in mind watching her finals within the Australian Open and likewise within the US Open finals.
“So actually an incredible expertise to share the court docket wit hher. So I’m actually comfortable I may produce that stage towards her.”
Eala will play for her maiden title tomorrow towards top-seeded Jessica Pegula at 2:30 p.m. Japanese time.
Unleashing a five-game surge, Pegula dispatched Diana Shnaider 7-5, 6-4, to roar into her second profession Mubadala DC Open closing right now.
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The third-ranked Pegula raised her 2026 document to 38-9 reaching her fourth closing of the yr.
Of their lone profession conflict, Pegula fought off Eala 7-6(3), 5-7, 6-3 within the Miami Open semifinals on March twenty seventh, 2025.
Eala, who took down Tenth-ranked Elina Svitolina, 6-3, 6-4, within the quarterfinals will attempt to defeat one other Prime 10 participant in Pegula.
“If I evaluate myself now to then, I’m extra properly rounded,” Eala mentioned. “I feel I’m bodily a little bit higher. I’ve improved a few my strokes. Possibly my forehand and serve can also be improved.
“I’d say the whole lot, all the form of features have improved on the identical tempo. However then once more, every participant is all the time evolving and bettering isn’t a linear factor and I’m certain Jess has additionally modified in these months. So it’s going to be nice.”
Rapping a sequence of crackling returns, Eala broke the previous No. 1 Osaka for a 2-1 lead.
Osaka broke proper again when the left-hander slapped a forehand off the tape that flew huge.
In conflict of flat and flashy shot-makers the first-strike was crucial. Eala once more hammered some deep returns, gaining triple break level within the ninth sport.
Although Osaka fought off all three break factors, Eala was not fazed. Firing a flat forehand return down the road helped Eala break once more for a 5-4 lead.
Clad in Kermit the Frog coloured Nike outfit, Eala took the inexperienced gentle crunching a backhand strike down the road for triple set level.
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Sliding a serve winner out huge, Eala sealed a one-set lead after 39 minutes reeling off the ultimate six factors of the set.
All through that first set, Eala used her legs successfully bending low to soak up the tempo of the flat drives. Eala gained 9 of 10 second-serve factors within the first set.
A pissed off Osaka double faulted away the break to start out the second set.
World No. 28 Eala continued exploring the corners stamping her second straight love maintain for a 2-0 second-set lead.
Teetering on the sting of one other break, Osaka confirmed cussed resolve.
The four-time Grand Slam champion saved all 4 break factors she confronted then pumped an ace ending a troublesome nine-minute maintain for 2-3.
Casting involved glances at coach Tomasz Wiktorowski between factors, Osaka was operating out of solutions. Eala slammed a head-turning forehand return winner down the road for 3 extra break factors.
When Osaka jammed a backhand into web, Eala earned her fourth break for 6-4, 5-2.
Eala closed in 76 minutes to boost her 2026 document to 27-17.
Richard Pagliaro. Richard Pagliaro is Tennis Now Managing Editor. He’s a graduate of New York College and has coated professional tennis for greater than 35 years. Richard was tennis columnist for Gannett Newspapers in NY, served as Managing Editor for TennisWeek.com and labored as a author/editor for Tennis.com. He has been TennisNow.com managing editor since 2010.
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