Filipino wild card Alexandra Eala continued her remarkable run at the Berlin Open, pulling off a stunning 7-5, 6-4 upset over world No. 2 Elena Rybakina to advance to the quarterfinals of the WTA 500 event at the Steffi Graf Stadium in Germany on Thursday, June 19, 2026.
The 21-year-old Filipino, ranked 35th in the world, let out a triumphant roar and pumped her fist after winning a hard-fought point against the 2022 Wimbledon champion. Eala's victory marks the biggest win of her career.
“I’m still shaking, and I was shaking on match point, too. But I’m really happy with today, of course. It could have gone either way. I think there were really tight moments in both sets, and she’s an amazing player. She’s the one to beat, so I’m happy to have been able to share the court with her again,” said Eala in a news release posted on the WTA website.
The win avenged Eala's loss to Rybakina at the Italian Open last month, where she fell 4-6, 3-6 in their first WTA Tour meeting.
Eala, the 2025 Southeast Asian Games singles gold medalist, will next face No. 6 seed Ukrainian Elina Svitolina, who defeated Germany’s Eva Lys 6-3, 6-2.
Earlier in the tournament, Eala, winner of the WTA 125 Birmingham Open on June 7, made it to the second round by beating HSBC Championships champion Donna Vekic 7-5, 6-4.
Meanwhile, No. 1 seed Aryna Sabalenka downed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-4 to set up a duel with 2023 Wimbledon junior finalist Nikola Bartunkova, who ousted Elise Martens 6-1, 6-4.
Also advancing were former champion Jessica Pegula, Paula Badosa, Madison Keys, and Linda Noskova.
