Belgian veteran Elise Mertens extended her perfect head-to-head record against Alex Eala to 3-0, defeating the Filipina sensation 6-3, 6-3 in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open.

Fresh off a stellar semifinal run in Berlin that pushed her to a world No. 30 ranking, Eala showed early flashes of brilliance, racing to a promising 3-1 lead in the opening set. However, the 24th-ranked Mertens quickly stabilized, unleashing 10 aces and a commanding baseline game to reel off five straight games. Mertens carried that momentum through the second set to seal the victory, though Eala fought valiantly, saving two match points.

Alex #Eala vs. Elise #Mertens in under two minutes.#BHO26 pic.twitter.com/czWLoOCv8T

— Bad Homburg Open powered by Solarwatt (@badhomburgopen) June 22, 2026

Next up for Eala is the doubles tournament, where she partners with tennis legend Venus Williams, while Elise Mertens moves on to face Naomi Osaka in the Round of 16.