Alex Eala marked her return to the WTA Tour with another trademark fightback, defeating reigning Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen of China, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the Round of 32 at the Mubadala DC Open.
Fresh from her historic Wimbledon run, the world No. 28 once again showed her resilience. Down a set and a break in the second, she clawed her way back, turning the match around in two hours and 26 minutes to eliminate the former world No. 4.
Alex Eala Overcomes Early Deficit
Eala broke Zheng early to lead 2-0 in the opener, but the Chinese star quickly responded, stringing together three straight games to take control. Zheng’s aggressive baseline play carried her to a 6-4 first set.
The second set looked to be slipping away when Zheng broke at love to go up 4-3. Instead of folding, Eala broke back immediately, held serve for 5-4, then broke again to level the match. Zheng’s rising errors contrasted with Eala’s cleaner play in the closing stretch.
Seven-Game Burst Seals Victory
Momentum firmly shifted in the decider. The 21-year-old Filipina reeled off seven consecutive games, racing to a 4-0 lead. Zheng briefly stopped the run with a break, but Eala answered right back, breaking again and serving out the match, 6-1.
Zheng finished with more aces and outright winners, but her 46 unforced errors proved decisive. Eala stayed composed, converting six service breaks and committing far fewer mistakes.
The victory added to Eala’s growing résumé. She has now beaten all three medalists from the women’s singles event at the 2024 Paris Olympics—gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, silver medalist Donna Vekić, and bronze medalist Iga Świątek.
It also avenged her semifinal loss to Zheng at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and marked her first career win over the Chinese star, evening their head-to-head at 1-1.
Eala now advances to face defending champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada, who also has Filipino heritage. Their clash will be a rematch of their Stuttgart Open encounter earlier this season, where Fernandez won in straight sets.
Alex Eala Next Match
WTA 500 Mubadala DC Open
Alex Eala vs. Leylah Fernandez
Main Draw – Singles – Round of 16
July 29 (Monday) – 11:00 p.m.
