Alex Eala’s run at the Cincinnati Open is over after Amanda Anisimova rallied from a set down to win 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 Monday, denying the 21-year-old Filipina what would have been her 10th career victory over a top-10 opponent.
She had been on a remarkable run against elite opponents this season, recording seven of her nine top-10 wins in 2026 alone. But Anisimova, the world No. 10, was too strong in the final two sets of their first career meeting on the WTA Tour, closing the match by winning six consecutive games after the 21-year-old appeared in control.
After the match, Anisimova praised Eala as a great player and a fighter, acknowledging she knew the match would be difficult. She also thanked the crowd for their support, noting she felt the need for encouragement and appreciated it given how much support was directed toward her opponent.
How the match unfolded
The first set was defined by an epic fifth game that lasted over 20 minutes and featured 13 deuces. Anisimova created eight break-point opportunities in that single game but Eala held firm, taking a 3-2 lead. Anisimova leveled the set at 3-3 when Eala had two break points on the American’s serve in the sixth game.
Anisimova finally broke through in the seventh game, breaking Eala at love to lead 4-3. She responded with the kind of resilience that has characterized her 2026 season, breaking back immediately in the eighth game and then serving out a hold to retake the lead. She converted a further break point on Anisimova’s serve in the 10th game to close out the set 6-4.
The second set followed a similar structure through the first six games before Anisimova broke to lead 4-3. This time she held serve to go 5-3 and the break proved decisive, forcing a third set.
She made a strong start to the decider, holding serve then breaking to lead 2-0. But Anisimova broke back and won the next five games, taking the set 6-2 and the match.
What comes next for Eala
Eala now turns her attention to the US Open at Flushing Meadows, where she is scheduled to compete in women’s singles and in mixed doubles with Felix Auger-Aliassime. She will also participate in the Stars of the Open exhibition event during Fan Week.
The Cincinnati result ends her preparation on a difficult note, but her overall 2026 season remains one of the more impressive in women’s tennis at her level. She arrived in Cincinnati as the No. 17 seed following a breakthrough WTA title at the DC Open in July, the first time a Filipino player had won at the WTA 500 level, and a run to the round of 16 in Toronto.
Her North American hard-court record now stands at 7-3, and her nine top-10 victories this season remain one of the more striking statistical marks for a player outside the top 20.
Anisimova’s path forward
Anisimova advances to the round of 16 in Cincinnati, where she will be one of the more dangerous unseeded players remaining in the draw. At her peak she was ranked No. 3 in the world and reached the Roland Garros semifinals in 2019 as a teenager. The win over Eala is evidence that she remains capable of competing at the highest level.
The Cincinnati Open continues to thin its field ahead of the US Open, with the top seeds still in the draw on the women’s side.
