Alex Eala was again among the notable names at the US Open, with strong crowd interest following her from one match to the next. Her tournament, however, came to an end in the third round.

The Filipina was edged by close friend Iva Jovic in a compelling three-set battle on Arthur Ashe, after earlier wins over Mary Stoiana and Oleksandra Oliynykova. Eala fell 7-6, 3-6, 7-5, narrowly missing a place in the second week of a Grand Slam.

That result gives her more recovery time than usual before her next event, the Singapore Open, which is scheduled to launch the WTA Tour’s Asian swing on 21st September. The field there is expected to include Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva, and Amanda Anisimova.

Her decision to rest is not surprising, given the amount of tennis she has played in 2026. Even so, there is a case to be made that she passed up a valuable chance by not entering the Guadalajara Open. The WTA 500 event began the day after the US Open final and offers a field with limited depth. Marta Kostyuk is the only top-10 player entered, while only four players from the top 30 are in the draw.

For Eala, it could have been an important route to another WTA 500 title after her first at the Washington Open earlier this year. She is also due to miss the China Open because of her Asian Games appearance, meaning she will already be behind some of her ranking rivals.

Eala is currently world No 18, a career-high position, and still has an outside chance of reaching the WTA Finals at season’s end. In that context, the 500 points available in Guadalajara would have carried real value.

Instead, she moves on to Singapore, where the draw also includes Sara Bejlek, Maja Chwalinksa, Elise Mertens, and Maria Sakkari, making a deep run a significant challenge.

Aryna Sabalenka’s difficult stretch continued at the Cincinnati Open, where the world No. 1 fell in the fourth round to unseeded Sara Bejlek. Leading coach Rick Macci said he believes “Sabalenka is competing against herself”.

Sabalenka opened the 2026 campaign in strong fashion, defending her Brisbane International title before reaching the Australian Open final, where she finished runner-up to Elena Rybakina. She then built a major cushion over her rivals in March by winning both Indian Wells and Miami to complete the Sunshine Double. Since then, however, her results have fallen away. Diana Shnaider beat her in the Roland Garros quarter-finals, and Naomi Osaka sent her out in the fourth round at Wimbledon.

That uneven run has continued on the North American hard courts. Sabalenka was previously defeated by Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 16, and her Cincinnati exit added another setback. Against Bejlek, the opening set was closely fought. Sabalenka broke in the first game, but the 20-year-old recovered and took the tie-break. In the second set, Bejlek broke immediately, Sabalenka responded by winning four straight games and moving 4-1 ahead, yet she did not claim another game as Bejlek closed out a 7-6 (9-7), 6-4 victory.

Sabalenka now holds a 40-8 record for the season, but Macci thinks confidence is becoming a concern. “Sabalenka is on a slippery slope as the Belarus Bomber still has an unreal serve but in tough moments I see a different mindset with her nerve,” he wrote on X.

The loss also leaves the top ranking under threat. Rybakina can move to No. 1 if she reaches the Cincinnati final. Even if she does not capitalise there, the US Open offers another chance, with Sabalenka defending 2,000 points after winning last year’s title while Rybakina is defending only 240. Macci described the upcoming tournament in New York as “wide open”. He added: “Right now Sabalenka is competing against herself. When an athlete does this you can still get a few wins but mentally your confidence spins,” before calling it “the U.S. WIDE OPEN for the WTA as 15 different players could have the final say.”

Alex Eala’s maiden WTA Tour title in Washington DC brought more than a trophy and ranking points. It also delivered the second-largest payday of her young career, moving her closer to the top 20 in prize money earned this season.

The 21-year-old made history at the WTA 500 event by becoming the first Filipina to win a top-level title. After a nervy opening set, she recovered to defeat top seed Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in a final delayed by rain. The victory came with 500 points and a cheque for $252,000.

That run had a wider impact on the event itself. Even with Sunday’s final pushed to Monday because of lightning and rain in DC, the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center was at capacity once again, with Filipino supporters filling the stands. Tournament director Mark Ein said earlier in the week that “ticketing team says at least 80%, if not more, of the requests in this tournament are about when is Alex Eala playing”.

The Washington prize money lifted Eala’s 2026 total to $1,537,330, including $76,918 from doubles. It also trails the $402,563 she collected after reaching the last 16 at Wimbledon. In the 2026 prize money standings, she is currently 22nd, with Taylor Townsend ahead on $1,621,374, though most of that American’s earnings came in doubles. Eala is just $165,606 outside the top 20, where Sorana Cirstea sits on $1,702,936.

At the top of the list, the gap remains considerable. Iga Swiatek is 10th on $2,246,059, while Linda Noskova leads with $6,188,432, including $4.8m from Wimbledon. Mirra Andreeva is second on $4,830,756 and Aryna Sabalenka third on $5,083,826.

Eala’s career earnings now stand at $2,901,015, placing her 280th on the all-time list. Her biggest cheque of 2026 remains the $332,160 she earned for reaching the Miami Open semi-finals.

With more than half of her career total coming this season, Eala is rapidly closing in on the $3,000,000 mark.