Alex Eala comeback stuns Zheng at Washington: 4-6 6-4 6-1

Alexandra Eala produced one of the most impressive comebacks of this edition of the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, overcoming Qinwen Zheng 4-6 6-4 6-1 in the second round of the WTA 500 event.

The 21-year-old Filipino, who trained at Rafa Nadal's Academy and recently reached the Wimbledon semifinals, initially struggled against the former world No. 4, who entered the tournament with a wild card. After losing the first set 6-4, Eala also dropped serve early in the second set, appearing close to defeat.

But the left-hander from Quezon City completely turned the match around, winning 10 of the last 11 games. After leveling the match in the second set 6-4, Eala dominated the decider 6-1 with surgical precision, unleashing devastating forehand winners and precise trajectories that completely unsettled the Chinese player.

Ubitennis described it as an "exemplary reaction," noting how Zheng progressively crumbled, struggling with her service returns that consistently found the net. Eala will face Leylah Fernandez in the Round of 16.

In other Day 2 action at the DC Open, No. 5 seed Anna Kalinskaya cruised past Daria Kasatkina 6-4 6-1.

Sources

• [Ubitennis - WTA Washington: Eala's exemplary reaction, Zheng beaten in three sets](https://www.ubitennis.com/blog/2026/07/29/wta-washington-reazione-esemplare-di-eala-zheng-battuta-in-tre-set-kalinskaya-schianta-kasatkina/)