FILIPINO tennis star Alex Eala slayed giant names in the Mubadala DC Open, including the win against Naomi Osaka, 6-4, 6-2, in the semifinal match on Saturday (Sunday dawn, Aug. 2, 2026, PH time).
The upset victory against Osaka, a 4-time Grand Slam champion who ruled the Austrian Open and US Open twice, gave Eala her first WTA 500 finals appearance.
As of press time, ranked No. 28 Eala is playing world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the championship match.
Regardless of the result of the match, the 21-year-old Pinay already earned an ace mark from the supportive Filipino fans.
In her road to the championship round, she defeated Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, then beat defending champion Leylah Fernandez in the Round of 16, and then outlasted many-time WTA Tour singles winner Leylah Fernandez in the quarterfinals.
In the semis, Eala outplayed Osaka in a match that lasted for one hour and 16 minutes.
“I think I played really well and of course, such a meaningful match against a great player. Really happy to share the court against Naomi,” said Eala in a post-game interview online via Mubadala DC Open page. / RSC