MANILA, Philippines — Alexandra Eala defeated third-seeded Naomi Osaka, 6-4, 6-2, on Saturday to reach the final of the 2026 Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C., earning the biggest singles final berth of her career.
Eala, ranked No. 28 in the world, secured her fourth consecutive straight-set victory in the tournament and advanced to her first WTA 500 final. She will face world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the championship match.
The 21-year-old Filipina broke Osaka early in the opening set to take a 2-1 lead. Osaka responded to move ahead 4-3, but Eala won the next three games to close out the set.
Eala carried the momentum into the second set, breaking Osaka in the opening game and holding serve to build a 2-0 lead. Osaka stayed within reach at 3-2 after saving several break points, but Eala held serve before breaking again.
Eala then served for the match at 5-2 and closed out the victory after Osaka threatened to extend the set.
“I’m super, super happy. I think I played really well,” Eala said after the match. “It’s such a meaningful match against a great player.”
Eala also limited her unforced errors, committing 10 compared with Osaka’s 18.
“I made it a point to be so locked in,” Eala said.
The victory continued Eala’s strong run through the tournament. She defeated Zheng Qinwen, defending champion Leylah Fernandez and Elina Svitolina before beating Osaka in the semifinals.
Eala now has a chance to win her first WTA Tour singles title when she faces Pegula, who defeated fourth-seeded Diana Shnaider, 7-5, 6-4, in the other semifinal.
“I think I just have to trust myself. I’m in the final for a reason,” Eala said. “She is such an amazing player also for a reason, so I think it’s going to be a really good match.”
