Alex Eala may have fallen short against world No. 2 Elena Rybakina on Sunday, but the Filipina left the Italian Open proving she could stand toe-to-toe with one of the sport’s most dominant forces.
On the clay courts of Foro Italico, Eala produced one of her sharpest performances of the season before eventually bowing to the former Wimbledon champion, 6-4, 6-3, in the tournament’s third round.
Rybakina entered the matchup as one of the hottest players on tour this year, fresh off title runs at the Australian Open and the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix, while also carrying one of the highest win rates on the WTA circuit.
Still, Eala refused to be overwhelmed by the moment. The opening set turned into a high-level exchange between two aggressive baseliners willing to attack every short ball. Eala struck 13 winners in the set — her highest output in a single set this season — while consistently challenging Rybakina in extended rallies.
But against an elite server and shot-maker like Rybakina, small openings quickly became decisive.
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I Spoke to Alex Eala after the close match vs 2 time Grand Slam Champ Rybakina ‘Very happy with my perfomance, able to reach good level tennis. I dont think it was an easy win for her’
pic.twitter.com/jNNXmy3j1k
— Dyan Castillejo (@DYANCASTILLEJO) May 11, 2026
The Kazakh star secured the lone break of the opening frame in the third game and protected it behind a barrage of powerful groundstrokes and well-placed serves to take the set after 52 minutes.
Eala answered with even more fight in the second set. After getting broken in the opening game, the Filipina world No. 42 immediately broke back and briefly grabbed a 2-1 lead, forcing Rybakina to raise her level once more.
That response eventually came midway through the set as Rybakina reeled off three consecutive games to regain full control of the match.
Eala still managed one final push, trimming the deficit to 4-3, but the world No. 2 calmly closed the door by winning the last two games to finish the contest in one hour and 33 minutes.
Rybakina’s serve remained a major weapon throughout, producing six aces compared to Eala’s one while repeatedly putting pressure on the Filipina’s return games.
Despite the defeat, the performance continued Eala’s encouraging rise against top-tier competition and offered another sign that her all-court game is steadily translating on clay ahead of the season’s next major tournaments.
Eala now shifts her focus to the Internationaux de Strasbourg in France from May 17 to 23, which is expected to serve as her final tune-up before the French Open.
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