One pep talk. One breathtaking comeback. One blockbuster rematch.
Alex Eala looked down and nearly out against Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen. Minutes later, she was walking off Stadium Court with one of the biggest comeback victories of her career.
The Filipina world No. 28 rallied from a set down to defeat China’s Zheng, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1, in the opening round of the Mubadala DC Open, turning a tense battle in the WTA 500 event into another signature victory that sets up a highly anticipated rematch against defending champion Leylah Fernandez.
The match pivoted on one brief huddle.
Trailing by a set and down 3-4 in the second, Eala walked over to coach Joan Bosch during the changeover. His message was simple. Keep fighting. Stay focused. The match would come.
“Like always, he’s right,” Eala said afterward.
From there, Eala caught fire.
She won nine of the next 10 games, including a blistering run of seven straight, flipping the match on its head as Zheng struggled to slow the Filipina’s relentless attack. The crowd at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, buoyed by a vocal Filipino contingent, sensed the momentum shift and roared with every point.
The victory was more than a place in the Round of 16. It completed an extraordinary sweep.
This year alone, Eala has beaten all three medalists from the 2024 Paris Olympics. She stunned bronze medalist Iga Swiatek during her breakthrough run at Wimbledon, defeated silver medalist Donna Vekic in Berlin, and has now added gold medalist Zheng to her growing collection of marquee wins.
The comeback also carried a touch of redemption. Zheng had beaten Eala at the Asian Games, but this time the Filipina turned the tables with poise, patience and fearless ball-striking.
Next comes another familiar face.
Waiting in the Round of 16 is seventh seed Leylah Fernandez, the Filipino-Canadian who beat Eala in straight sets at the Stuttgart Open in April.
If there is one lesson from Eala’s remarkable season, it is to never to count out the heart of a Filipina athlete. And when Bosch tells her to keep believing, opponents may have even more reason to worry.
