Filipina tennis sensation Alex Eala sent shockwaves through the tennis world at the 2026 Berlin Open, securing the biggest victory of her career by upsetting world No. 2 Elena Rybakina in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4.
Playing in her tournament debut on the grass courts of the Steffi Graf Stadion, the 21-year-old Eala showed incredible composure. Despite Rybakina opening the match in blistering form and firing 13 aces, Eala—currently ranked world No. 35—recalibrated her returns and capitalized on her opponent’s unforced errors. Trailing 4-1 in the first set, Eala rallied fiercely to win five consecutive games before breaking early in the second set to seal the historic triumph in 1 hour and 32 minutes.
Game Highlights;
Check out the Head-to-Head stats for Alex Eala and Elina Svitolina.
With this monumental win, Eala advances to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 tournament. She will not have much time to rest, as her next match is scheduled for later today, Friday, June 19, 2026, at 6:30 PM, which will be 11:30 PM, Philippine time. Eala will face a formidable opponent in Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who enters the match as the tournament’s No. 6 seed and holds the world No. 8 ranking. It will be the first career meeting between the two.
