Alexandra Eala defeats Zheng Qinwen in Round of 32 at the Mubadala DC Open, Washington, D.C.; completes three-set comeback 4-6, 6-4, 6-1

WTA Mubadala DC Open: Alexandra Eala recovers from dropped first set to beat Zheng Qinwen in Round of 32

The Filipina rising star returned to hard court action in winning fashion, toughing out a Round of 32 match in the U.S. capital on Tuesday, 28 July.

It wasn’t without difficulty, but Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala is through to the Round of 16 at the 2026 WTA Mubadala DC Open .

Overcoming a tricky first set, which saw her give away two break points, World no. 28 Eala drew even with wildcard Zheng Qinwen from the People’s Republic of China in the second set.

That forced a third and decisive set, with the fate of both players in the balance. Zheng, gold medallist at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 , had dominated from the service line, racking up 14 aces throughout the match, but Eala was starting to come into her own by then.

Taking three consecutive break points, the Filipina rising star suddenly found herself serving for the match in the U.S. capital. She wasted little time confirming the result, completing a thrilling three-set comeback: 4-6, 6-4, 6-1.

“I think I’ve already had that in me,” Eala said of the grit she showed against the Olympic champion. “I think it’s definitely a mindset that you have.

“That being said, I think it’s been trained or I’ve practiced. I’ve had more experience now to implement that mindset at the higher level.”

Her first round win put her on a collision course with Canadian U.S. Open finalist Leylah Fernandez , who beat Poland’s Magda Linette to advance to the Round of 16, with the duo set to play on Wednesday, 29 July.