Sometimes history repeats itself. Alexandra Eala proved that Friday night in Washington, D.C., where she defeated Elina Svitolina 6-3, 6-4 for the second time in just over a month to reach the semifinals of a WTA Tour Driven by Mercedes-Benz event.
Washington: Scores | Order of play | Draws
Eala’s first win over Svitolina came on the grass in Berlin in June. This latest result, earned on a hard court, sends her to her third semifinal of 2026 and marks her sixth Top 10 victory of the season. She’ll now prepare for her first career meeting with Naomi Osaka, who rallied from a set down to beat Elisabetta Cocciaretto earlier Friday.
“She’s such an accomplished player, and I think she’s made waves on and off the tennis court for so many reasons,” Eala said in her on-court interview. “There’s so much respect for her for that, and you know I’m really excited. I haven’t had much time to think about it, but I will definitely think about it after I get off court.”
Eala has been making waves of her own, backed by a nation and, lately, producing the top-level play to match the fanfare. The 21-year-old again showed she can hang with the world’s best in her quarterfinal against Svitolina.
Neither player seized early momentum, trading breaks through the first five games. Eala finally held for 4-2, and that was all she needed. She earned a fourth break in the final game and won nine of the last 10 points to take the opening set.
Svitolina jumped ahead 2-0 early in the second after a highlight-reel get and a flick up the line to consolidate her break. Two games later, she stretched her lead to 3-1 with an ace.
But Eala clawed back, winning three straight games to move in front and later pushing ahead 5-4 to apply scoreboard pressure. Svitolina faltered under it in uncharacteristic fashion. The moment of the match came when Eala’s forehand clipped the line by a fraction of a millimeter to set up match point.
Svitolina saved the first two but doubled-faulted on the third, handing Eala the victory and sending her into the semifinals.
“I’m super excited. I hope it lives up to the expectations,” Eala said in her post-match press conference. “I’m definitely going to do everything I can and leave it all on court, like always. Of course, Naomi is an amazing player, so it’s going to be a tough match for me.”
Osaka looking for on-court comfort to match the vibes in Washington
At the end of the day, Osaka was simply relieved to still be in contention after grinding out a 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 win over Cocciaretto.
“Overall this match was really tough, and it felt more like a mental match than an actual tennis match,” Osaka said in her post-match press conference. “I don’t feel like I played that well, but it was more fighting through every point. I think what (Cocciaretto) did well today was — I guess she was really inside of the court on my second serve, so I did feel a little bit of pressure.
“She was pretty solid.”
Cocciaretto entered fresh off three-set wins over Clara Tauson and Emma Navarro, both coming in three sets. At times, she looked poised for a straight-sets victory over Osaka, especially when they were tied 4-4 late in the second set.
But Osaka won the next two games to force a decider. After giving up an early break advantage in the third, she cracked Cocciaretto’s serve again a few games later — the final momentum shift she needed to close out the match.
“You have to adjust every week to a different tournament,” Osaka said. “I’m happy to be on a hard court, and the vibes are high, but I hope that my next round I will play a lot better.”