Alex Eala beats defending champ Fernandez, reaches quarterfinals

Alex Eala defeated Leylah Fernandez in straight sets on Wednesday, July 29 in the Mubadala DC Open, where Fernandez was the defending champion.

Eala needed one hour and 53 minutes to close out the match, 6-2, 7-6(1).

Fernandez nearly forced a third and deciding set, at one point leading 5-1 in the second set. But Eala refused to give up and kept on trying to problem-solve, something she is gaining a reputation for.

Alex Eala Tracker 2026: Matches, News, Rankings

“Those are very tricky moments when you know your level (of play) has dropped and you want to do better but things, for one reason or another, just aren’t coming out. 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 said in the post-match interview.

Alex Eala’s next match

Eala will next face the winner between Polina Kudermetova and Elina Svitolina. Whoever wins could face former Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) No. 1 Naomi Osaka in the semifinals of the Mubadala DC Open.

The WTA 500 event is played on hard courts and is part of the tournaments in the run-up to the U.S. Open.

The WTA pointed out that this was the second tournament in a row where Eala has defeated the defending champion.

READ MORE: Alex Eala advances in Washington, to face Leylah Fernandez next

Eala outsmarted defending champion Iga Swiatek last July 4 in the third round of the Wimbledon Grand Slam.

A Filipina at No. 28 in the WTA

The Filipina is currently No. 28 in the WTA rankings, while Fernandez is No. 34.

The two have now met across the net twice, with one win each. Fernandez won their previous meeting in straight sets, 6-1, 6-4, at the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix in Stuttgart in April 2026.

Eala admitted that she found the windier conditions challenging and had to dig deep to outplay Fernandez.

“It was definitely a factor, but ultimately something I couldn’t control. I think I definitely had some tough moments in the match, and credits to Leylah. She put me in some really tough positions,” Eala said. “So, I think I’m super proud of how I fought and how I stayed in there.”

The tournament’s top seed, Jessica Pegula, is still in the competition, along with WTA No. 18 Diana Shnaider.

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