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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Eala stays grounded after Birmingham win, shifts focus to Queen's Club

Eala stays grounded after Birmingham win, shifts focus to Queen's Club

Published Jun 8, 2026 01:57 pm

At A Glance

  • Eala captured the title after a hard-fought 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Nikola Bartunkova for her second WTA singles crown since her breakthrough triumph at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico last year.
Alex Eala downplayed being mentioned alongside past champions of the Birmingham Classic, saying she prefers not to compare herself to those great players and is simply focused on improving her game.
“It sounds really beautiful, of course. All those names you’ve mentioned are tennis greats, and I am so honored to be lifting this trophy today,” said Eala.
“But lifting this trophy does not mean that I will be among the greats yet, so I am motivated to keep working, and I am grateful for the part that this trophy has played in my journey,” she added.
Eala captured the title after a hard-fought 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 victory over Nikola Bartunkova for her second WTA singles crown since her breakthrough triumph at the Guadalajara Open in Mexico last year.
She joins past winners Jelena Ostapenko (2023), Ashleigh Barty (2019), Ana Ivanovic (2014), Maria Sharapova (2004 and 2005), former world No. 1 Martina Navratilova (1991), and legendary Billy Jean King (1982 and 1983).
Seeded No. 1 in Birmingham, Eala first cruised to straight-sets wins over Priscilla Hon, 6-0, 6-2; Alina Charaeva, 6-2, 7-5; and Mananchaya Sawangkaew, 6-3, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.
The 21-year-old Filipina ace, however, had to dig deep in overcoming Rebeka Masarova, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3, in a rain-delayed semifinal match to arrange a championship date with Bartunkova.
Meanwhile, there was little time for celebration and no time for rest for Eala as she quickly shifts her focus to the Queen’s Club Championships this week where she earned a main draw berth.
She opens against a tough first-round opponent in world No. 8 and multiple Grand Slam doubles champion Shuai Zhang.
Eala has also jumped four notches to No. 33 in the WTA rankings while earning $19,700 (around P1.2 million) following her victory.

Related Tags

Alex Eala Birmingham Open Maria Sharapova billy jean king Queen\'s Club Championships
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