The duo of Alex Eala and Venus Williams will indeed have a sequel, as they have been awarded a main‑draw wild card entry for the doubles event of the WTA 1000 National Bank Open.
At the WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open, Eala and Williams were initially set to compete together before their pairing was abruptly changed, with Williams eventually teaming up with Diana Shnaider.
Eala did not continue in the doubles event and instead shifted her focus to singles—a decision that paid off as she captured her first‑ever WTA 500 singles title.
Now reunited, the American‑Filipina partnership gets a second chance after its quarterfinal exit at the WTA 500 Bad Homburg Open.
Opening Assignment Against Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova
The opening assignment for the Eala‑Williams tandem will be against Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova.
The Japanese‑Russian pair holds a 1-2 record together in tournaments played during the 2026 season. At the Linz Open, they reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated, then suffered a first‑round exit at the Queen’s Club Championships.
Interestingly, both Kato and Samsonova have already won WTA doubles titles this year with different partners. Kato teamed up with Chan Hao‑ching of Taiwan to win the Athens Open doubles crown, while Samsonova partnered with Nicole Melichar‑Martinez of the United States to capture the Stuttgart Open doubles title.
With established doubles specialists facing Alex Eala and Venus Williams—both better known for their singles careers—the match will likely hinge on in‑game adjustments and how quickly each partnership adapts to one another’s playing style.
Alex Eala Next Match
WTA 1000 National Bank Open
Main Draw — Round of 32 — Doubles
Alex Eala and Venus Williams vs. Miyu Kato and Liudmila Samsonova
August 7, Friday — 8:10 a.m. (Estimated time)
