Alex Eala’s stay in the Bad Homburg Open singles draw may have been brief, but the week is far from over for the rising Filipina star.
Instead of dwelling on an early exit, Eala now finds herself preparing for one of the most unique opportunities of her young career—a doubles partnership with seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams.
For a player who grew up watching some of the sport’s biggest names, sharing the same side of the court with Williams offers a chance that goes beyond rankings and results.
“Syempre excited na excited, kasi hindi araw araw na makakasama ko si Venus sa court kaya bigay todo talaga,” said Eala.
The 21-year-old enters the doubles competition after a straight-sets defeat to Belgium’s Elise Mertens, who continued her perfect record against the Filipina with a 6-3, 6-3 victory in the opening round of singles.
While the result ended Eala’s run in the tournament’s main draw, she viewed the match as another learning experience against one of the tour’s seasoned competitors.
“Elise is an experienced player, very veteran, and I played her a couple of times before and also have encountered many challenges before,” Eala admitted.
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DOUBLES ACTION WITH VENUS!
Alex Eala’s doubles match with tennis legend Venus Williams is scheduled later on court 1 not before 10PM MNL time
WTA pic.twitter.com/I3v8MeYDiT
— Dyan Castillejo (@DYANCASTILLEJO) June 24, 2026
“I think the conditions were difficult for me today, so I did the best I could with, you know, what I had.”
Rather than leaving Germany disappointed, Eala chose to focus on the positives from another week of grass-court preparation ahead of the sport’s most prestigious tournament.
“I’m proud of how I fought, I’m proud of what I did, and I’m proud of how I showed up,” Eala added.
The timing of the doubles stint could prove valuable as Eala fine-tunes her game before Wimbledon, where she is set to achieve another milestone. The Filipina recently became the first Filipino player in the Open Era to earn a singles seeding at a Grand Slam tournament, further highlighting her rapid rise on the WTA Tour.
Before stepping onto the lawns of the All England Club, however, Eala gets one more memorable chapter in Germany—this time alongside one of the greatest players the sport has ever seen.
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