Alex Eala and Venus Williams will not take the court together at this week’s Washington DC Open, after the Filipina confirmed why the doubles pairing was set aside for now.

The 21-year-old had joined the former world No 1 on grass at the Bad Homburg Open in June, a run that carried them to the quarter-finals before they were beaten by the second-seeded duo of Olivia Nicholls and Tereza Mihalikova. The same partnership had been scheduled to continue on hard courts at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center, where the pair had received a wildcard entry.

That plan changed over the weekend, when Williams was instead announced alongside Diana Shnaider in the women’s doubles. Williams said, “[It] didn’t work out this time. Would love for there to be future times. We’ll see what happens”.

Both players remain in the singles draw in Washington DC, and Eala later explained that stepping away from doubles was the right call as she returns to competition.

“I have so much respect for Venus. I am so grateful for every opportunity that I have to be around her, to learn from her, to hit with her,” the world No 28 said at her press conference.

“But I do think this is my first week coming back, and I think that Venus is someone who deserves a partner who can give their all physically, emotionally, mentally when they’re on court with her.

“I think right now I think I can only do that for singles. I don’t have the capacity yet to be able to give that in both singles and doubles. I’m really grateful for the opportunity that I had, or have, and hopefully we see more of it in the future.”

Eala’s singles path begins with a difficult first-round meeting against Zheng Qinwen. The former world No 4 and 2024 Australian Open runner-up has endured a difficult spell, losing in the opening round at both the French Open and Wimbledon. She is now ranked No 123 and required a wildcard to enter the event.

Eala arrives after reaching the Wimbledon last 16, where she defeated defending champion Iga Swiatek, and she remains in position to push toward the top 20 during the North American hard-court swing.

Jack Draper’s ranking position means his route into the US Open may depend on a wildcard, and Greg Rusedski has made the case for him to receive one. The former British No 1 believes Draper has earned the opportunity to play the final Grand Slam of the year, despite the setbacks that have disrupted his last 12 months.

Draper reached the US Open semi-finals in 2024 and later climbed to No 4 in the world after winning the Indian Wells Masters title the following year. But injuries have repeatedly interrupted that progress. He returned at Indian Wells in March and showed encouraging form by reaching the quarter-finals, only to be sidelined again by a knee injury. After making the semi-finals in Eastbourne, he was forced to withdraw from Wimbledon because of another recurrence of his arm injury.

He is now attempting another comeback at the ATP 500 event in Washington, where his coach Andy Murray has extended a partnership that had been expected to finish after Wimbledon. Draper’s ranking does not currently secure him direct entry into Grand Slam events, so he may need qualifying unless the USTA grants him a coveted wildcard for New York.

Rusedski, speaking in an extract from the latest episode of his podcast published exclusively on Tennis365, argued that Draper’s talent and profile make a strong case for selection. “Craig is a smart man and you need to keep the top players happy,” said Rusedski. “If Jack is healthy with Andy Murray, that still creates a lot of buzz in America if you have that relationship in New York.

“So if the form’s there, yes, he should get a wildcard. If the form isn’t there, then it’s a no. But I’m on the optimistic version that the form’s gonna happen and we’re gonna find out this week in Washington where he’s at.

“Don’t forget, Jack was the guy everybody was talking about to mix it up with (Carlos) Alcaraz, (Jannik) Sinner and (Novak) Djokovic and he was on the cusp of being in there.

“He won Indian Wells and reached the finals in Madrid. And then he’s had a horrid year where he hasn’t been able to play. So the USTA will look at it because what they gotta remember is if Jack’s healthy, he’s one of the biggest names in tennis.

“He’s too big of a talent not to be out there. Let’s see how many weeks he can go through and hopefully he runs all the way through US Open and we don’t have to talk about injuries anymore.”

Rusedski also welcomed Murray’s continued presence in Draper’s corner, saying the added experience can help guide him through a difficult stretch. He noted that Murray’s involvement could be extended beyond the original trial period and said the long-term picture may eventually require another coach if Draper can stay healthy and play a fuller schedule.

Jannik Sinner’s choice to withdraw from the Canadian Open has continued to draw attention. The World No. 1 will miss the Masters event for the second straight year, even though the schedule now leaves a third week between the tournament and the Wimbledon final.

The decision also ends any possibility of winning every Masters event in a single season, a feat no man has ever achieved in tennis history. That has brought criticism, particularly because Carlos Alcaraz is also set to miss the event because of a wrist injury.

Rick Macci, Serena Williams’ former coach, offered a different view. He believes Sinner is doing what is best for him. Speaking on social media, Macci said: “ Sinner and his team know what is best mentally and physically for him. How much he plays is very different than any player because every match he is suppose to win.

“That is a different mental vibe than any player on tour. To be highly motivated every match and have the juices flowing and not blink is mental magic. The Italian Flamethrower knows the feeling so he can be dealing.”

Sinner’s numbers in 2026 help explain the discussion. He has played nine tournaments and 47 matches this year, winning 44 of them. Even so, since May he has appeared in only two tournaments, Roland Garros and Wimbledon, after skipping a grass court warm-up event.

His earlier stretch was far more demanding. Before Roland Garros, he played Monte Carlo, Madrid and Rome in succession, and many believe that run contributed to his capitulation against Juan Manuel Cerundolo at Roland Garros.

The broader picture suggests a clear focus on the biggest prizes. Sinner is clearly prioritising Grand Slam titles, which are the achievements that remain long after a career ends. He has won one of the three Grand Slam titles available so far this year, despite dominating the ATP Tour for much of 2026. For a player who has lost only three times in seven months, that is still a modest return by his standards.

The US Open now stands as the next major target, and the choice to skip the Canadian Open may prove part of that approach.