Alex Eala overcomes injury, survives Caty McNally at Canadian Open
Alex Eala of the Philippines walks to the net at match point against Caty McNally of the United States during day six of the National Bank Open Presented by Rogers at Sobeys Stadium on August 07, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario. Matthew Stockman/Getty Images/AFP
LIVE: Alex Eala vs Caty McNally – Canadian Open – Round of 32
MANILA, Philippines — Alex Eala endured a right foot injury to withstand a gritty Caty McNally, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, and advance to the Canadian Open round of 16 on Saturday (Manila time) before a packed and raucous center court in Toronto.
Eala struggled after hurting her right foot midway through the second set as McNally forced a decider. But the Filipino star fought through the pain, unleashing a 2-0 start in the third,
The World No. 70 McNally, who upset Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, stayed within striking distance of Eala even after she reached match point with a strong ninth game.
READ: Alex Eala takes on Caty McNally in Canadian Open round of 32
The run continues 🫶
Alexandra Eala defeats McNally 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 to win her seventh match in a row and reach the Round of 16 in Toronto.#NBO26 pic.twitter.com/00WpYI9P8p
— wta (@WTA) August 8, 2026
But Eala seized a 30-0 lead before McNally halted her run, then the American misfired her last two attacks that led to another emotional win for the Filipino tennis ace after two hours and 39 minutes.
“I’m okay. I think I survived that one. It was so tough,” said Eala, who notched her seventh straight win dating back to her title run in the WTA 500 DC Open.
“I wanna thank Caty for a great match, being a great sport. It’s really one of those matches that really could have gone either way. I think it really down to details and a little bit of luck. So give her her flowers guys. It was really a great match.”
The reigning Washington Open tweaked her right foot in the fifth game of the second set, which she still won for a 3-2 edge. She then took a medical timeout and had her foot strapped up.
The tape, however, bothered and limited Eala’s movement as McNally took advantage and won back-to-back games for a 4-3 lead.
Philippines’ Alexandra Eala, right, hugs United States’ Caty McNally after Eala defeated McNally in National Bank Open tennis action in Toronto on Friday, August 7, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)
The 21-year-old Eala, who had the tape ripped off before the start of the eighth game, moved on the verge of victory serving while up 5-4.
But McNally fought back again and won three in a row to extend the match.
Eala started the match off the wrong foot, with McNally seizing a 3-1 start. But the Filipino netter never wavered and won five straight games to steal the first set.
McNally took a 40-30 lead in the ninth, but Eala battled back with three straight points, capped by back-to-back service winners to complete her impressive comeback.
“These two weeks have been incredible for me. So many extreme emotions. I’m really doing my best to power through and be professional and do what I know to do. To play in front of you guys, it’s amazing. The motivation to come here and play another match, everything becomes so much more emotional,” said an emotional Eala.
The No. 25 seed Eala, who got a first-round bye, fended off the gritty American Alycia Parks, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, to kick off her Canadian Open campaign.
Eala battles Belinda Bencic of Switzerland in the round of 16 of the WTA 1000 event.
The No. 12 seed Bencic survived Taylor Townsend in a gruelling three-hour and 24-minute match, 6(5)-7, 7-6(4), 6-4.
