Alex Eala now holds record over every other WTA Tour star after Canadian Open

Alex Eala sharp rise to stardom sees her hold a record over every one of her rivals on the WTA Tour despite exiting the Canadian Open.

Eala's popularity has skyrocketed in 2026, with the 21-year-old producing a string of impressive performances during the summer months.

She won the Birmingham Challenger on the grass and followed it up by getting to the semi-finals of the Berlin Open and her very first fourth round at Wimbledon.

The rising star then became the first Filipina to win a WTA singles title when she beat Jessica Pegula 4-6, 6-4, 6-0 in the Washington Open final on August 3.

Eala threatened to record back-to-back triumphs at the Canadian Open after defeating Alycia Parks in the last 64 before easing past Caty McNally in the round of 32.

Belinda Bencic sadly ended her tournament in the following round, though the youngster could hold her head high after further enhancing her popularity in the world of tennis and pocketing £60,676 in prize money for her efforts in Toronto.

A burgeoning reputation in the sport has only enhanced her opportunities outside of it, and Eala has landed a lucrative sponsorship deal with Nike after losing at the Canadian Open.

Meanwhile, as a result of several deep runs at tournaments over the last few months, the world No.20 has played more matches than any other player so far this season.

Players who have played the most WTA Tour matches in 2026

• Alex Eala – 56 matches
• Jessica Pegula – 51 matches
• Elina Svitolina – 51 matches
• Mirra Andreeva – 50 matches
• Elena Rybakina – 48 matches

Remarkably, Eala has played at a whopping 21 tournaments in 2026 and looks set to extend that total at the Cincinnati Open and the US Open, while already signing up for the Singapore Open in September.

Alex Eala admits she was 'tired' after the Canadian Open

It's been a relentless schedule for the Filipino prodigy in 2026, and the lethargy from playing so many matches appeared to catch up with her in defeat to Bencic.

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She suffered defeat against the Swiss in straight sets and admitted she felt "tired and down" after the tournament, but walked away from feeling positive about her chances in the upcoming events.

"It's always tough, of course, after a loss, but as I said, I'm looking back at these past maybe two weeks as a really big positive," Eala said in the post-game press conference.

"I think I've played really well. I've gotten through so many obstacles. Of course, right now, there's that initial kind of just a little tired and down from the match. But I think, I mean, I'm healthy, which is something I'm super grateful for."

Unlike many of her rivals, Eala hasn't taken a well-earned one- or two-month break as she continues to chase invaluable points and climb up the rankings.

But she has already said she would take a rest after the Cincinnati Open, which begins on August 13, before attempting to win her first Grand Slam at the US Open later in the month.