Alex Eala ousts Leylah Fernandez to reach DC Open quarterfinals

WASHINGTON, DC – JULY 29: Alexandra Eala of the Philippines returns a shot during a women’s singles match against Leylah Fernandez of Canada during day three of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by Emilee Chinn / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala ousted defending champion Leylah Fernandez with an impressive 6-2, 7-6 (1) victory to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C.

Showcasing grit once again, Eala rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the second set before overwhelming Fernandez in the tiebreak to level their head-to-head series at one win apiece.

PURE HEART 💚

A remarkable comeback from Alex Eala against Fernandez in DC 😮‍💨#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/jHgMacWOgf

— wta (@WTA) July 29, 2026

“I think I definitely had some tough moments in that match, and credit to Leylah, she put me in some really tough positions,” Eala, who previously lost to Fernandez in the Stuttgart Open in April, said. “So, I think I’m super proud of how I fought and how I stayed in there.”

On the verge of playing another three-setter, Eala responded by winning five straight games to take a 6-5 lead, but Fernandez held serve to force a tiebreak

The Filipino tennis star wasted no time in the tiebreak, building a 3-0 advantage before Fernandez got on the board. Eala then won four straight points to close out the match in one hour and 53 minutes.

Alexandra Eala of the Philippines returns a shot during a women’s singles match against Leylah Fernandez of Canada during day three of the Mubadala Citi DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on July 29, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP 

Eala will face the winner between Polina Kudermetova and Elina Svitolina in the quarterfinals.

The world No. 28 came out firing with a 3-0 lead in the first set, opening the match with a love hold to set the tone. She traded holds with Fernandez before sealing the set with her second break.

But Eala admittedly struggled in the second after Fernandez, currently ranked No. 34 with a career-high No. 13, found her rhythm and reeled off five straight games to move within a game of forcing a decider.

That was when Eala regained her composure—reminiscent of her Round of 32 win over Zheng Qinwen, when she rallied from a set down—and retook control of the match.

“I know that she was playing a little better, and maybe my level dropped a little bit. I think those are very tricky moments when you know your level has dropped, and you want to do better, but things just, for one reason or another, aren’t coming out,” Eala said.

“I think patience was key there, and just trying to work it out, and have a strong mentality in terms of trying to find solutions.”

Eala eyes another semifinal appearance this year in her first tournament of the North American swing as part of her buildup to the US Open.