Rising Filipino tennis star Alexandra Eala will play her third tournament of the 2026 grass-court swing when she competes at the 2026 WTA Berlin Open, which got underway on Monday (15 June).
Eala heads to Germany after a second-round exit last week at the Queen’s Club Championships in London, a WTA 500 event like the Berlin Open.
Before that, the 21-year-old won the Birmingham Open, lifting her second career WTA 125 title after beating her doubles partner Nikola Bartunkova in the title clash.
Preparing for her second appearance at Wimbledon, Eala opens her campaign in Berlin on Tuesday (16 June) with a tricky first-round clash with Croatia’s Donna Vekić, who comes fresh off her title triumph at Queen’s in London at the weekend.
Vekić, ranked 33rd, defeated home favourite and former U.S. Open winner Emma Raducanu en route to her fifth WTA Tour singles title, capping off a remarkable run from a lucky loser to champion.
As the Paris 2024 Olympic silver medallist and 2024 Wimbledon semi-finalist, 29-year-old Vekić will pose a great challenge to Eala. But the Filipino has a slight advantage over the veteran.
The pair met for the first time in January at the ASB Classic in New Zealand, with Eala clinching a come-from-behind victory in their round of 32 clash on hard-court, her preferred surface.
One of four players to receive a wildcard, Eala will be playing at the Berlin Open for the first time.
Six of the top 10-ranked players will be in action, including World No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, as well as third-ranked and 2024 Berlin Open champion Jessica Pegula. Coco Gauff is also in the mix.
