MUBADALA DC OPEN

July 28, 2026

Alexandra Eala

Press Conference

A. EALA/Z. Qinwen

4-6, 6-4, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: Alex, opening match here at the D.C. Open. How did you feel about today?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I'm really proud of my performance today. It's never easy to go into your first round after the break after Wimbledon, so I'm really happy with the level of competition and how I held my ground, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. One of the things that you gained a reputation for is just your fight and your ability to turn matches around. I'm just curious, do you feel like that became stronger with you developing more of these type of wins like today, or did you feel like you more or less already had that within you?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Well, I think I've already had that in me. I think it's definitely a mindset that you have. That being said, I think it's been trained or I've practiced. I've had more experience now to implement that mindset at the higher level.

I guess that just comes also with the level of my tennis getting higher because you always want to win, and you always want to fight. But I think now with the progress I've had this past year, I have a bit more of ammunition to back it up, yeah.

Q. It seemed that you were absorbing her pace on her forehand, strong forehand. Is that one of the keys, do you think, your ability to absorb her pace?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I think you got to pick and choose your moments when to absorb. I think also put my own pace when I needed to and just kind of play smart and stick with my game, yeah.

Q. The tournament was saying earlier today that he says about roughly 80% of the calls their ticket office has gotten has been about when your match was going to be. So I'm curious, you've been in a bunch of these cities around the world now. How would you sort of compare the level of Filipino fan presence in the stands to some of the other stops you've had on tour so far?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Yeah, I think it was a great atmosphere out there. This is my first time competing in D.C. I knew there was a Filipino community. Most of these places I'm not really sure what to expect at this point, but I was pleasantly surprised. I think there was a great atmosphere on court today, very electric, so yeah.

Q. On a different topic, I'm curious for you, you've played a lot of matches in the last five weeks, let's say, since the grass season started especially. How are you sort of balancing holding up physically and trying to push through whatever sort of aches and pains and soreness you may have versus trying to be cautious? Like maybe you were pulling out of doubles. How are you trying to figure out that balance right now?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Yeah, I definitely think it's a process. Of course, having that many matches is a load. Then, you know, having that kind of break where it was a little hectic at home. I think the key is having an open line of communication with my team.

The WTA medical staff has been great. The tournament medical staff has helped me a lot. You know, prioritizing recovery and then so that when I need to push, I can push, yeah.

Q. You mentioned this is your first time in D.C. Just what has the experience been like? Was there anything that surprised you about this tournament, the venue, the fans, anything?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I think it was great. A lot of people say great stuff about this tournament, so it's lived up to the expectation. The center court is beautiful. The people are so hospitable, and of course, the city is very beautiful. So I'm really happy to be here.

Q. The second set she breaks you at love, you break her at love. That kind of feels like the turning point. Then you go on this run that's even more the momentum that just carries you into the third set and to the win eventually. When you got that break back in the second, did that feel like something turned for you to give you that momentum?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I definitely think it helped. Maybe if I hadn't gotten that break, who knows? Maybe it would have been too big of a gap. You never know in tennis, but that definitely helped me I think.

I was just trying to take it game by game and make the match a little longer and see if I could get more opportunities and earn more opportunities.

Q. I saw you on the entry list for the US Open mixed doubles. What about that event is exciting to you and made you want to do it? Also, I'm curious about your specific partnership with Felix Auger-Aliassime and how that came about.

ALEXANDRA EALA: Yeah, that partnership came up by chance, but I am so excited for the opportunity to play with him. I think there's a lot that I can learn partnering up with him.

Of course, US Open is a very electric place to play doubles, and I think mixed doubles especially with the lineups that there are is going to be very interesting and a really great opportunity for me.

Q. You were talking about recovery early on, and I wonder, do you wear any sort of health tracking, like a WHOOP an Oura Ring or anything like that, and if you do, how intense are you with it? Are you paying attention to the numbers, or do you leave it to your team to kind of deal with that part?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I currently do not wear any sort of kind of tracking devices. I definitely go by kind of how I feel on the day-to-day basis.

I think it's really -- when you don't have a tracking device, it's important to be honest with yourself with how you feel and honest and demanding on kind of when you can push, but then also recognizing when it's time to make it -- you know, take it a little bit slow. I have a great team that also makes plans kind of around how I feel, yeah.

Q. When we last saw you at Wimbledon, you had some big strapping on your leg. Sort of curious what that injury was exactly and what the recovery from it was like.

ALEXANDRA EALA: I think it was more preventive, that strapping. Like I mentioned, I had a lot of matches on grass and a lot of high-level matches where I would run a lot. So I think it's kind of more for peace of mind also, yeah.

Q. Then just speaking of high-level matches, it's a pretty prominent name to see next to your name in a first-round match today. When you see that you're playing someone of that quality right out of the gate, what sort of thought goes through your mind?

ALEXANDRA EALA: Of course, you're going to do everything you can to win, but you have to expect that she's going to make it difficult for you, and you have to do your best to make it difficult for her. I think that's kind of the essence of tennis.

The essence of competition is you're trying to make the other person uncomfortable; they're trying to do the same. It's just a back and forth, right, yeah.

Q. What is your internal monologue like when you are faced with a moment like in the second set when a lot of people could have been like, okay, that's it. It could have been over by the end of the second set. What is your internal monologue like? That's the first question.

ALEXANDRA EALA: I think I really try to not look at the bigger picture. In moments like that small details can give you those opportunities to change the match. You know, you want to go out of the court with the peace of mind that you gave it your all. Yeah, I think that's what I try to do.

Q. Are you superstitious?

ALEXANDRA EALA: I think I was more superstitious when I was younger. By younger, I mean really young. Maybe 8, 10, 12.

Q. What kind of rituals?

ALEXANDRA EALA: So, for example, and I haven't done this in a while, but maybe if I was singing before a return or singing before a serve and I won that point, I would sing the same verse for the next point.

Or, like, my swinging, it used to be superstitious. Now it's kind of more, like, when I feel it, I do it. I've just come to terms that I don't think superstitions are really beneficial, if you think about it in practical terms, yeah.