Eala's Cincinnati Open campaign ends with loss to Anisimova

Eala's Cincinnati Open campaign ends with loss to Anisimova

Alex Eala's campaign at the Cincinnati Open ended in the round of 32 after a hard-fought three-set battle against world No. 10 Amanda Anisimova on Monday night at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio.

The Filipino star, who recently made history by becoming the first Filipina to win a WTA Tour title at the Mubadala DC Open in early August, started strongly by claiming the opening set 6-4. However, the ninth-seeded American mounted a comeback to level the match with a 6-4 second set before dominating the decider 6-2.

A marathon late-night encounter

The late-night encounter, which concluded well past midnight, lasted two hours and 28 minutes. Eala, seeded 17th at the prestigious WTA 1000 event after breaking into the top 20 following her DC Open triumph, controlled much of the opening set that stretched to 67 minutes.

The 21-year-old Filipino maintained parity with Anisimova through the early stages of the second set, staying level at 3-3. But Anisimova, who made her top-ten debut after reaching the 2025 Wimbledon final where she fell to Iga Świątek 6-0, 6-0, converted her first break point in the seventh game and won three of the next four to force a deciding set.

Eala opened the third set impressively, breaking Anisimova in the first game to move ahead 2-0. The early advantage proved fleeting. Anisimova, who also reached the 2025 US Open final before losing to Aryna Sabalenka 6-3, 7-6(7-3) and finished last season at a career-high No. 4 ranking, regained control and broke Eala three times while sweeping the final six games to seal victory.

I know Alex is such a great player and such a fighter. I knew it was going to be a really tough match. There was quite a bit of support for me tonight so I really appreciate that, because I know how loved Alex is... And for good reason. But I really appreciated it because I felt like I needed a pick me up in this match because it's past my bed time.

Anisimova said afterward.

Looking ahead to the US Open

Despite the setback at the Cincinnati Open, the final major tournament on the North American hard-court swing, Eala's run provided valuable match practice as she prepares for the US Open. The year's final Grand Slam begins August 30 at Flushing Meadows in New York, a venue where Eala made history last year by becoming the first Filipino player to win a Grand Slam match in the Open Era with a 6-3, 2-6, 7-6(13-11) victory over 14th seed Clara Tauson.

Eala has enjoyed a breakthrough 2026 season, reaching a career-high ranking of world No. 29 in March to become the highest-ranked Filipino in WTA Tour history before her recent surge into the top 20. Her DC Open title earlier this month, where she defeated Jessica Pegula in the final, marked another milestone for Philippine tennis and provided momentum heading into the season's crucial final stretch.