Alex Eala is proving that champions find a way, even when their body is sending warning signals. The 21-year-old Filipino star defeated Caty McNally 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 in the third round of the National Bank Open in Toronto, advancing to the fourth round despite rolling her right ankle midway through the second set.
The incident came at the worst possible moment. Eala was a set and a break ahead when she landed awkwardly on a forehand and called for the physio. McNally seized on the interruption, breaking to love in the following game and eventually taking the second set. For a brief stretch, it looked like the injury might derail a remarkable run of form.
It did not. Eala broke in the opening game of the deciding third set and served out the match with composure, confirming that the ankle was not seriously damaged. In her post-match press conference she described the moment as disorienting, noting it happened so fast she was unsure what had occurred, but said her medical team quickly confirmed there were no serious problems.
What makes the result even more impressive is the physical toll of the past two weeks. Eala played five matches in Washington, where she claimed her maiden WTA title by beating Jessica Pegula in a rain-delayed final, and has now added two more in Montreal. That is seven matches in roughly fourteen days, and she openly acknowledged she is starting to feel the cumulative effects, both physically and emotionally.
Fresh off that Washington triumph, where she defeated Wang Xinyu, Leylah Fernandez, Elina Svitolina, and Naomi Osaka along the way, Eala remains one of the hottest players on tour. She credited her support team for keeping her physically ready and expressed genuine optimism about her chances in the rounds ahead.
TennisDraw users have had Eala as one of the most selected deep-run picks at this event, and results like this one show exactly why.
