Eala Tops Svitolina, Reaching DC Semis on Debut

Like many of the venues she visits for the first time, Alexandra Eala has taken a liking to the hard courts in Washington, D.C. The 21-year-old continued her rise on Friday night in the nation’s capital by securing a hard-fought 6-3, 6-4 win over Elina Svitolina to set a semifinal clash with Naomi Osaka. 

The Filipino sensation, the first player from her nation to ever contest the main draw in DC, has now reached a career-high No.25 in the WTA live rankings and will contest her fifth career semifinal, and third of 2026. 

“Hard-fought win, and really excited to play again tomorrow,” Eala said in her post-match press conference.” 

Enthusiastic fans showed up in droves to see Eala play once again. Tournament director Mark Ein said that the majority of calls his staff takes about scheduling are from fans wanting to know when Eala will play. It’s a phenomenon that the tennis world couldn’t have imagined before the southpaw from Quezon City hit the scene.

“The atmosphere was electric,” Eala said. “Of course, the past two matches have also had great crowds, but I think today was a little bit more. I don’t know if that had to do with the time that I played, but yeah, I really felt the love.”

Eala improved to 6-2 against the Top 10 in 2026, with her second win over Svitolina in as many months. 

She had to rally from a break down in the second set against the World No.10 to get it done. She broke for 3-all and again to clinch the win, converting her third match point with Svitolina serving to stay alive at 4-5. 

She will meet four-time Slam champion Osaka for the first time on Saturday. 

“She achieved so much,” Eala said. “Of course, very powerful player. I think a lot of people would watch her finals and, of course, her rise. So I’m really excited to be playing her tomorrow. Going to be a tough match. I hope I can bring my best.” 

“I’ve never played Alex before, but obviously I’ve seen some of her matches,” said Osaka after her 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Italy’s Elibetta Cocciaretto. “She’s had an incredible year so far. Honestly, playing her I think would be really fun for me, just to get that knowledge about how she plays.”