Alex Eala is rising, and not even former Grand Slam winners can stand in her way, it seems. In the semifinals of the 2026 Citi Open against Naomi Osaka, Eala showed mental toughness, elite shot-making, and a difficult-to-manage second serve that was a real issue for the Japanese player.
Often on the slower serve, Osaka seemed completely lost. She didn't know how to position herself and often stretched to get her racket on the ball. Mind you, Eala is left-handed, and the spin on her serves arrives differently, but a high-end professional tennis player, as Osaka has been, should be able to defend better.
In the opening set, Osaka got ahead on a break and was seemingly outplaying the Filipina. But Eala changed the narrative quickly and with confidence. She was the one playing as if she had won multiple Grand Slams before, and not a player who hasn't yet won her first WTA-level tournament.
Alex Eala defeats Naomi Osaka in the semifinals of the 2026 Citi Open
That might change as soon as Sunday, however, in which case her legion of fans would likely grow, and rightfully so. Eala is 21 years old and definitely not the youngest player on tour, but she is beginning to find her footing. That should be a scary thing to the rest of the tour.
This was not a fluke performance, either. Osaka wasn't performing badly; she was simply being beaten by a player in better form. The question was, after the Filipina got another break at 4-all and then held to take the opening set 6-4, whether Eala could continue her magic into the second set.
Fans didn't need to wait long to find out. In the first game of the set, Eala got another break against Osaka and then held, jumping out to a 2-0 lead while the Japanese player was struggling to have any idea what to do with Eala's second serve. Through the first three games of the second set and including the entire first set, Osaka had only won one point off the slower serve.
Eala got another break at 4-2, and the outcome appeared destined. The Filipina was hitting the ball with more power and more precisely, and Naomi Osaka had no answer. She was defeated, and the only hope she had was to make the final score a closer one. She couldn't. Eala held easily to finish off the second set 6-2. The performance was impressive, and Eala is only getting better.
Alexandra Eala, in an attempt to win her first tour title, will next face Jessica Pegula in the final of the 2026 Citi Open. The American defeated Diana Shnaider in straight sets in her semifinal match.
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