Alex Eala kicks off Mubadala DC Open run vs. Zheng Qinwen

Published July 28, 2026 5:49pm

Alex Eala vs Jasmine Paolini - Wimbledon Round of 16

Wimbledon - All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, London, Britain - July 6, 2026 Philippines’ Alexandra Eala reacts during her fourth round match against Italy’s Jasmine Paolini REUTERS/Jaimi Joy

Alex Eala's first match since her historic Wimbledon run will be no easy task, as the Filipina tennis ace squares off against China's Zheng Qinwen in the opening round of the Mubadala DC Open on early Wednesday (Philippine time) in Washington DC, USA.

Eala and Zheng will meet at 1 a.m. at the William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center as the 21-year-old Pinay resumes her WTA Tour run after a three-week break.

The Mubadala DC Open is a WTA500 event played on the hard court and will be part of Eala's preparations for the US Open, where the world No. 28 Filipina is tipped to earn a Main Draw entry.

Eala and Zheng will face off for the first time since their thrilling clash in the Hangzhou Asian Games, where the Chinese bet eked out a 6-1, 6-7(7), 6-3 win over Eala in the semifinals before ruling the tournament altogether.

Now ranked No. 123 by WTA, Zheng, also the reigning Olympic gold medalist, was once the world No. 4 after reaching her career-high mark in June 2025.

Alex Eala first round opponent Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen

Gold medallist, China’s Zheng Qinwen poses with her medal on the podium at the presentation ceremony for the women’s singles tennis event on Court Philippe-Chatrier at the Roland-Garros Stadium during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, in Paris on August 3, 2024. (Photo by Patricia DE MELO MOREIRA / AFP)

But the 23-year-old star had to undergo a right elbow surgery last July to miss several months of action.

Like Eala, Zheng also saw action in both the Wimbledon and Bad Homburg Open, where she absorbed early exits in Round of 128 and Round of 16, respectively.

The winner of this match will set up a Round of 16 date against seventh-seeded and defending champion Leylah Fernandez of Canada.

Alex Eala's Season recap (singles)

Grass-court swing

Wimbledon (Grand Slam) — Round of 16
Bad Homburg Open (WTA 500) — Round of 32
Berlin Tennis Open (WTA 500) — Semifinals
HSBC Championships (WTA 500) — Round of 16
Birmingham Open (WTA 125) — Champion

Clay-court swing

French Open (Grand Slam) — Round of 128
Italian Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 32
Madrid Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 64
Stuttgart Open (WTA 500) — Round of 32
Linz Open (WTA 500) — Round of 16

Sunshine Swing

Miami Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 16
Indian Wells Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 16

Middle East Swing

Dubai Tennis Championships (WTA 1000) — Quarterfinals
Qatar Open (WTA 1000) — Round of 64
Abu Dhabi Open (WTA 500) — Quarterfinals

Philippine Women’s Open (WTA 125) — Quarterfinals

Australian Swing

Australian Open (Grand Slam) — Round of 128
ASB Classic (WTA 250) — Semifinals

—JMB, GMA News

Tags: Alex Eala, Alexandra Eala, DC Open, Zheng Qinwen