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Alexandra Eala keeps on surprising. The 19-year-old Filipina, ranked 52nd in the world, swept aside Naomi Osaka in the semifinals of the WTA 500 in Washington on Saturday, securing a spot in the final against Jessica Pegula. Coming through qualifying in Memphis earlier this season, the left-hander with a varied game confirms she is not just a flash in the pan on the tour. In the space of six months, Eala has gone from ITF tournaments to the semifinals of a WTA 500, a meteoric rise that recalls the early trajectories of a Coco Gauff or a Mirra Andreeva.
Against the former world number one, Eala delivered an impeccable tactical performance. Varying her trajectories, using a topspin backhand to push Osaka out of her strike zone, and a well-placed serve that constantly troubled the Japanese player, she turned around a difficult situation in the second set to win in three sets (6-4, 3-6, 6-3). Osaka, who was coming off a convincing win over Elisabetta Cocciaretto in the quarterfinals, never found the key against an opponent who refused to give ground.
Against the former world number one, Eala delivered an impeccable tactical performance.
This victory is Eala's second on American soil after her notable run in Berlin in June, where she had already taken down Elina Svitolina in the first round. It is also the biggest result of her young career in singles, and a confirmation that her title in Memphis was no accident.
Pegula, the favorite delivers
In the other semifinal, Jessica Pegula lived up to her status as the top seed. The American dominated Diana Shnaider in two sets (7-5, 6-4) in a match that was tighter than the score suggests. Shnaider, ranked 31st in the world, pushed Pegula to her limits, especially in the first set where the two players exchanged four breaks. The Russian, a finalist at Wimbledon three weeks ago, kept pace for a long time before succumbing to the pressure.
Pegula, a finalist at the last US Open, used her experience in the key moments. At 5-5, she raised her level to break and then close out on her serve. The second set followed a similar pattern, with the American impenetrable in defense and clinical on break points. Her down-the-line forehand, which had let her down so much in New York last September, made the difference in the decisive rallies this time.
The Buffalo native will therefore face Alexandra Eala in their first meeting on the tour. An unprecedented final that pits two radically different styles against each other: Pegula's power and experience, at 31, against Eala's creativity and fearlessness.
Fritz and Jodar in the men's last four
On the men's side, Taylor Fritz continues his run. The American, ranked 10th in the ATP standings, has booked his spot in the semifinals where he will face his compatriot Alex Michelsen. Fritz, who had not reached this stage in the American capital since 2023, is building momentum on North American hard courts, a surface where he shone until the US Open final in 2024. A painful knee had forced him to withdraw from Wimbledon, but the Californian insists the discomfort is behind him.
The other semifinal pits young Spanish player Daniel Jodar, 18, who is already shaking up the big names, against Italian Lorenzo Musetti, whose touch-based tennis works wonders on this surface. Jodar impresses with his tactical maturity and his ability to accelerate with his forehand in decisive moments. The Catalan left-hander, coming through qualifying, is the youngest semifinalist at an ATP 500 since Carlos Alcaraz in Barcelona in 2021.
This Washington tournament, the last rehearsal before the US Open for many players, is living up to all its promises. On the women's side, a final between the American boss and the Philippine tornado promises a clash of generations and styles. On the men's side, the answers will come this Sunday on the Stadium Court at Rock Creek Park.