Alexandra Eala’s remarkable week in Washington has earned her a semifinal date with the former World No. 1, and the Filipina made clear just how much the occasion means to her. Set to face Naomi Osaka for the very first time in her career, Eala spoke with genuine admiration when asked about the matchup.

“Yes, she is of course such an accomplished player and I think she’s made waves on and off the tennis court for so many reasons,” she said in her on-court interview. “There’s so much respect to 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.”

She also had a message for supporters back home, signing off with a line in Tagalog. “Salamat mga kapang Pinoy, magkita tayo bukas,” she said in Filipino, thanking her fellow Filipinos and telling them she would see them tomorrow.

Eala had to dispatch three tough opponents straight in a row to reach this stage. She opened her campaign by going through a tough three-hour victory against Olympic gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, rallying from a set down for a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win that evened their head-to-head at 1-1. She followed that by dethroning defending champion Leylah Fernandez 6-2, 7-6(1) in the second round, recovering from 1-5 down in the second set to complete the upset.

She secured another of her season’s best results in the quarterfinal, triumphing over world No. 10 Elina Svitolina in straight sets. This is her second victory against the Ukrainian within a two-month span, following her win in the Berlin quarterfinal in June. She picked up her sixth top-10 victory of the season, extending her career record to 8-4 against top-10 opponents. 

Plenty of drama was also involved in Osaka’s run to the semifinals. The third seed got a bye in the first round and faced Ashlyn Krueger in the round of 16, advancing when the American retired trailing 6-3, 3-1 with a right ankle injury. She then needed a fightback of her own in the quarterfinals, coming from a set down to beat Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 in a two-hour, eleven-minute battle. That victory lifted her to the second semifinal of the season, and her first time in the final four of the tournament.

Two players climbing up the ladder sharing the same semifinal court

Naomi Osaka is seeking her second WTA final of the season after reaching the Bad Homburg final in June, a solid summer run that included a fourth-round run at the French Open and a Wimbledon quarterfinal. Alexandra Eala, meanwhile, did not even compete in Washington last year, and now finds herself just two wins away from what would be her first-ever WTA 500 title. 

No player has successfully defended the Washington title since Jessica Pegula in 2019. The defending champion, Leylah Fernandez, was knocked out at the hands of Eala; therefore, this year’s edition is also guaranteed a new name on the trophy, and both these players are strong contenders to etch their name on it. 

The Japanese star has climbed from outside the top 100 to world No. 13 over the past 24 months, and she arrives in Washington fresh off reaching the quarter-finals at Wimbledon for the first time in her illustrious career. The 23-year-old Filipino’s rise has been just as steep, climbing from No. 155 to No. 28 in that same period, a run that includes her stunning third-round upset of world No. 3 and defending champion Iga Swiatek at this year’s Wimbledon, the biggest result of her career, and she has continued that form in Washington as well. 

Both players are coming into Sunday’s semifinal in their career-best form, guaranteeing a top-quality match for the audience. They have not shared a court before this match, hence bringing freshness to the match-up. Eala might not have enough accolades to match Osaka’s legacy, but the numbers do not make her an underdog but a legitimate threat of beating anyone left in the draw, Osaka included.