Alexandra Eala's seven-match winning streak — the longest of her young career — came to an end on Sunday night, August 9 (Monday, August 10, Philippine time), as 12th seed Belinda Bencic of Switzerland defeated the Filipino tennis star 6-4, 6-0 in the Round of 16 of the National Bank Open at Sobeys Stadium in Toronto, Canada.
The loss ended what had been a remarkable North American hard-court swing for the 21-year-old Eala, who entered the match as the 25th seed and the newly crowned champion of the Mubadala Citi DC Open — her first WTA singles title.
Double Faults Open the Door for Bencic
Both players held serve comfortably in the opening exchanges before Eala's two early double faults handed Bencic a break for a 2-1 lead, according to match reports from the National Bank Open. Eala briefly recovered to level at 2-all, but she was unable to maintain that momentum.
The first set featured five service breaks in total and closed at 6-4 in favor of Bencic, with the Swiss player controlling the pace and tempo throughout.
Bencic Drops the Bagel in the Second
The second set was a one-sided affair. Bencic played aggressively close to the lines and gave Eala no foothold to mount a comeback, eventually completing a 6-0 bagel set to seal the match.
The win extended Bencic's record against left-handed opponents to 10-0 since 2024, a statistic that underscores how difficult the Swiss player has been to beat for that category of opponent. It was also the first time the two players had met at the professional level.
For Eala, it marked her first straight-sets defeat since her Round of 32 loss to Belgium's Elise Mertens at the Bad Homburg Open in June.
A Grueling Road to the Fourth Round
Eala had arrived at the Bencic match already battle-tested. After receiving a first-round bye, she outlasted hard-serving American Alycia Parks 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, then edged Caty McNally 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in a physically demanding three-setter during which she required multiple medical treatments on her foot, tournament records show.
The back-to-back three-set battles may have contributed to Eala's fading performance in the second set against the more rested and clinical Bencic.
Toronto Centre Court Packed with Filipino Fans
Despite the result, the match itself was a milestone moment for Philippine tennis. Eala played in front of a Centre Court crowd packed with Filipino supporters, a reflection of the growing attention her results have generated both domestically and among the Filipino diaspora in Canada.
Eala is currently ranked a career-high world No. 20, a ranking that itself reflects the historic nature of her 2026 season.
Bencic Advances to Face Gauff
With the victory, Bencic — a former Toronto champion who won the title here in 2015 — advances to the quarterfinals, where she will face fourth seed Coco Gauff of the United States. Gauff reached the last eight by routing qualifier Alina Korneeva 6-3, 6-1.
A Historic Season Continues in Cincinnati
The Toronto defeat does not diminish what has already been a breakthrough year for Eala. Her 2026 season includes a run to the fourth round of Wimbledon — the deepest Grand Slam singles run ever by a Filipino player — as well as her first WTA Tour title at the Mubadala Citi DC Open, where she defeated American Jessica Pegula in the final.
Eala is expected to compete next at the Cincinnati Open, a WTA 1000 event scheduled from August 13 to 23, which serves as the final major tune-up tournament before the US Open.
By the Numbers
- 6-4, 6-0 — Final score in favor of Bencic
- 7 — Eala's consecutive match winning streak before the loss
- 21 — Eala's age
- No. 20 — Eala's career-high world ranking
- 10-0 — Bencic's record against left-handed opponents since 2024
- 5 — Total service breaks in the first set
- August 13–23 — Dates of the upcoming Cincinnati Open
Why This Matters
Eala's run at the National Bank Open — reaching the Round of 16 at a WTA 1000 event — adds further weight to what is already the most successful season in Philippine tennis history. Her career-high ranking of world No. 20 and her first WTA title in Washington, D.C., have placed her among the sport's rising names on the global stage. With the US Open approaching and the Cincinnati Open as her next stop, the 2026 season remains far from over for the Filipino standout.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy of WTA/National Bank Open