Alex Eala’s strong run continued in Washington as she fought back from a difficult position to defeat 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez and advance to the quarter-finals of the WTA 500 event.

The 21-year-old recovered from 5-1 down in the second set before closing out a 6-2, 7-6(4) victory, a result that drew a loud response from her supporters in the US capital. It was another notable step in a fast-building stretch of form for the Philippines star, whose recent grass-court season included a title at the Birmingham Open and a run to the last-16 at Wimbledon.

One of the defining moments of that Wimbledon campaign came when she beat defending champion Iga Swiatek, a victory that carried her into the second week of a Grand Slam for the first time in her career. She has since carried that confidence into Washington, where an opening-round win over Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen was followed by this hard-earned success against Fernandez.

Against Fernandez, Eala relied on the pace and heaviness of her shots, along with clear resilience, to turn the match around after her opponent had looked in control of the second set. She also had to manage windy conditions, while the strong backing from the stands remained a constant factor throughout the contest.

“Leylah put me in some difficult positions, but I’m really happy about how I fought and hung in there,” declared Eala.

“When you know you levels drop and you want to do better, patience is key to work it out. A strong mentality in trying to find solutions.”

Eala also praised her coach Joan Bosch after the match, and the noise from the Filipino fans prompted a big reaction when it was mentioned during her on-court interview.

The win lifts her further in the WTA Rankings, where she is now up to No 28 in the live standings. If she wins three more matches this week and takes the title, she will confirm a breakthrough into the top 20.

Alex Eala made a sharp start to her Washington Open campaign, coming from a set and a break down to defeat Qinwen Zheng and move into the second round.

The Filipina was tested early, but she again showed the resilience that has become a feature of her rise. Against a Grand Slam finalist, Eala recovered to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 and book a meeting with Leylah Fernandez. It will be the second time the two have faced each other, after Fernandez beat her at the Stuttgart Open earlier this year.

Eala is listed at World No. 28, yet her profile continues to grow far beyond that ranking. Washington Open tournament director Mark Ein said the interest around her has been striking, with her presence driving ticket demand across the event.

“I will say, over the last month the ticketing team says at least 80%, if not more, of the requests in this tournament are about when is Alex Eala playing,” said tournament director Mark Ein.

“Honestly, I think it’s more, and they just didn’t want to say it was more, but they’re, like, virtually all. It’s not an exaggeration. That’s actually what they tell me.

“When you look at the amazing players here and how many great stars there are, it says something about Alex’s following. Obviously she’s been an icon, become an icon in the Philippines, but worldwide. So there’s obviously Filipinos everywhere.

“I will say, earlier this year in the early spring our team said, this is a phenomenon that’s spreading, and we should try to get Alex to come to Washington. Having her here is honestly one of the really great things that’s already happened this year.”

Eala was informed of the remark after her win over Zheng and gave a brief reaction.

“Wow, that’s amazing! responded the 21-year-old Filipina star.

Her appeal has been clear throughout the season. Fans have packed her matches at the Australian Open, where queues stretched well beyond the stadium. She was also the most followed player during the Middle Eastern swing, especially in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and that support has carried into the United States and Europe. At Wimbledon, the crowd warmed to her run to the fourth round, a campaign highlighted by her win over Iga Swiatek, and Washington has followed the same pattern.

Jannik Sinner is back on court as he prepares for the North American hard-court swing after choosing to skip the Canadian Open.

The world No 1 made headlines when he withdrew from next week’s ATP Masters 1000 event in Montreal, opting instead for a longer pause after successfully defending his Wimbledon title at the start of July. He has played only nine tournaments in 2026, yet he has still logged the second-most matches on tour with 47, behind only Alexander Zverev, who has played 55 matches across 11 events.

Sinner’s results this season have remained impressive. He has reached six finals and won all six, while Zverev has reached three finals and claimed his only title at the French Open. Even so, Sinner and his team decided that protecting his health mattered more than pursuing the rare ATP Masters 1000 goal of winning all nine titles in a single year.

The Italian has already won the Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters, Madrid Open and Italian Open. That run will not continue in Montreal, and his camp also appears to have wanted to avoid a repeat of Roland Garros, where he was heavily favoured before a troubling second-round collapse against Juan Manual Cerundolo.

Unlike the relentless stretch from March to June, his schedule now allows more room for recovery before he heads to the United States.

After Wimbledon, the 24-year-old and his girlfriend, model Laila Hasanovic, took a break in the luxury seaside village Porto Rafael in Sardinia. He later appeared aboard the Explora III as the first guest during the naming ceremony in Genoa, Italy. As an Explora Journeys global brand ambassador, he joined the vessel’s Mediterranean Prelude Journey from 24 to 25 July to Marseille in France.

He then visited his hometown of San Candido before being spotted back on court at the 3 Zinnen Dolomites clay courts. From South Tyrol, he returned to Monaco and resumed practice at the Monte Carlo Country Club, where he has been training on the hard courts with world No 18 and Monegasque local Valentin Vacherot.

Sinner still has time to fine-tune his game before the Cincinnati Masters begins on 13 August in Mason in the United States.