Alex Eala’s trip to Germany was an opportunity to hone her skills on grass before Wimbledon.
This time last year she made her grass court debut, as a qualifier at the WTA 250 in Eastbourne. She showed her talent on the surface by making the final, where she was defeated by Australian Maya Joint, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6. The match was a 146 minute battle that ended with a 12-10 tiebreak, during which the Filipina achieved four championship points but was unable to convert them.
Eala could not reproduce that form at the 2025 Wimbledon, where she went out in the first round. Her opponent, however, was the defending champion Barbora Krejčíková and, on a scorcher of a day, Eala took her to three sets.
The start of the 2026 grass swing saw Eala live up to her top seeding to win the Birmingham Open. Although previously a WTA 250 event, last season Birmingham had been reclassified as a 125, meaning it was no longer part of the WTA main tour. Nonetheless, the 5-7, 6-3, 7-5, win over Czech player Nikola Bartůňková was a confidence boost for Eala on the lawn courts.
There was little time to celebrate. She was promptly on the move to London for the HSBC Championships, better known as Queen’s. The tournament was promoted this year from a WTA 250 to a 500. Entering the draw as a replacement for Hailey Baptiste, she comfortably defeated Zhang Shuai 6-3, 6-2, before losing 2 and 2 in the second round to 6th seed Iva Jovic.
From London, she caught a flight to Germany to make her debut at its consecutive grass WTA 500s.
First stop: Berlin. There she faced Donna Vekic, a seasoned grass court player, having reached the semis of Wimbledon in 2024. Throughout her time on the WTA tour, the Croatian has contested six grass finals, winning two – Nottingham in 2017 and Queen’s this year.
But Eala played as if all this experience was on her side of the net.
She had beaten Vekic in their previous meeting six months ago in Auckland, although that was on hardcourt. Now at Steffi Graf Stadium in Berlin, the momentum changed many times in the first set through 14 break points, which eventuated in five breaks of serve and a 7-5 result to Eala. In the second set, she broke early and maintained that lead, fending off five break points, including four in the last game, to take it 6-4.
Then, in one of the best wins of her career, she overcame World No.2 Elena Rybakina, followed by knocking off No.8 Elina Svitolina. Rybakina, despite her 13 aces, was defeated in a score identical to Vekic’s loss, 7-5, 6-4, while Svitolina gave away almost two games with seven doubles faults, assisting the 6-3, 6-4 victory to Eala.
After such a great run, she lost in the semis to eventual champion Linda Nosková. The first set passed in 29 minutes as Nosková’s serve and punishing down-the-line shots off both sides propelled her to 6-2. Still, she had needed three set points to claim it. The second set began with Nosková stretching the score out to 3-1. Eala was rewarded for running down nearly every ball to draw level, then took the lead at 4-3. But Nosková took the reins again, and won the set 6-4 with an angled backhand volley, one of her 33 winners for the match.
Next stop: Bad Homburg
Even though Eala’s good form in Berlin didn’t accompany her across the other side of the country to Bad Homburg, she gained more valuable practice on the grass. And the Filipinos of Frankfurt got the opportunity to come out and see their favourite sports star.
When she and Venus Williams played doubles together on Court 1, fans could watch them up close and free, as Courts 1 and 2 in the Kurpark are accessible without a ticket.
Firstly, Eala faced Elise Mertens in singles. On the clay of the Madrid Open in April, the most recent time they met, Mertens had dominated, losing only three games.
In Bad Homburg, the scoreline was an improvement, but Eala was unable to build on the form she showed the previous week. She started well to go 3-0 up but Mertens soon overtook her. Towards the end, Eala again showed her talent and saved two match points in the penultimate game. Ultimately, the outcome of the match was 6-3, 6-3 to the Belgian, who served it out to love.
In the first outing of the Eala / Williams wild card doubles team, they played Catherine Harrison of the US and Australian Alexandra Osborne.
A large crowd had gathered around the court, including outside it, attempting to see the match, or at least hear it.
Eala and Williams teamed well from the start, with both hitting several clean winners. Early on, their opponents seemed to target Eala, but she held her own. After a sprint to 4-0, they finished the set 6-3.
The second set began on serve. As Harrison / Osborne struggled to return the powerful serves of Williams, she closed out a love game for 3-3. After scurrying all over the court retrieving balls, it was Eala who hit the winner to break for 4-3.
Harrison / Osborne immediately broke back, though they were broken again in the next game.
So, it was Williams who needed to serve it out. At match point, she smacked a backhand down the line from well outside the edge of the court. She and her teammate were thrilled when it landed in.
The veteran Williams acknowledged the cheering crowd with her traditional Venus twirl but Eala just stood and applauded her partner.
For their next match, Eala / Williams were wisely scheduled on Centre Court.
Awaiting them were 2nd seeds Tereza Mihalíková of Slovakia and Brit Olivia Nicholl, the winning team at Queen’s.
With the temperature sitting at 38°C, Williams was broken in her first service game. At 5-3 to Mihalíková / Nicholls, Williams again struggled with her serve and doubled faulted on set point.
Things didn’t improve for Eala / Williams in the remainder of the match. They did manage to break when down 1-5; their second break for the set. In turn, they were broken four times, including the final game of the match.
Last stop: Wimbledon
For Alex Eala, her time in Germany produced one of the best results of her career, a semi-final in a WTA 500. She would have preferred more matches in Bad Homburg, but both the trials and successes of her grass campaign have prepared her for the biggest test on the lawns of Wimbledon.
Title photo by Vanessa Taylor
Update – Wimbledon
Alex Eala played above her 29th seeding, making it to the Round of 16. She impressed the crowds with her court speed, skills and grit.
Venus Williams did not get to play doubles with her sister Serena, who pulled out due to a knee injury. It would have been their first match together in almost four years.
After winning the Berlin Open, Linda Nosková had lost in the first round of Bad Homburg but won Wimbledon.