Alex Eala suffered one of the heaviest defeats of her career in Madrid.
After beating Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova to reach the second round, Eala lost 2-6, 1-6, to Elise Mertens.
Will Alex Eala start to lose fans if she doesn’t win a title soon?
She lost 6-2, 6-1, to Elise Mertens in Madrid…
Eala was outmatched from the first ball to the last, winning just three games as she exited the Madrid Open.
Sharing his thoughts on the match, former Grand Slam finalist Greg Rusedski had a request for Eala’s fans.
Greg Rusedski calls for Alex Eala’s fans to be patient with her
During the latest episode of ‘Off Court Cuts‘, Rusedski gave his verdict on Eala’s latest defeat.
“Well, it’s the heavy hitters, it’s being on tour week in, week out. You are going to take some bruising losses,” said Rusedski.
Alex Eala’s defeats in 2026
| Defeat | Opponent | Score | Sets won | Games won |
| ASB Classic – SF | Wang Xinyu | 7-5, 5-7, 4-6 | 1 | 16 |
| Australian Open – 1R | Alycia Parks | 6-0, 3-6, 2-6 | 1 | 11 |
| Philippine Women’s Open – QF | Camila Osorio | 4-6, 4-6 | 0 | 8 |
| Abu Dhabi Open – QF | Ekaterina Alexandrova | 3-6, 3-6 | 0 | 6 |
| Qatar Open – 1R | Tereza Valentova | 6-7, 1-6 | 0 | 7 |
| Dubai Tennis Championships – QF | Coco Gauff | 0-6, 2-6 | 0 | 2 |
| Indian Wells – 4R | Linda Noskova | 2-6, 0-6 | 0 | 2 |
| Miami Open – 4R | Karolina Muchova | 0-6, 2-6 | 0 | 2 |
| Linz Open – 2R | Jelena Ostapenko | 4-6, 5-7 | 0 | 9 |
| Stuttgart Open – 1R | Leylah Fernandez | 1-6, 4-6 | 0 | 5 |
| Madrid Open – 2R | Elise Mertens | 2-6, 1-6 | 0 | 3 |
“You look at the one she lost the week previous in Stuttgart against Leylah Fernandez, she pushed [Elena] Rybakina all the way.
- 2026 Stuttgart Open 1R – Leylah Fernandez defeated Alex Eala, 6-1, 6-4
- 2026 Stuttgart Open QF – Elena Rybakina defeated Leylah Fernandez, 6-7, 6-4, 7-6
“So the losses she takes are not bad losses, it’s sometimes the score lines at times…
“This is part of the learning experience, she’s too good of a player, she’ll figure it out.
“What I like is her resilience.
“If you’re a fan out there, just be a little patient; it might take a little bit longer for her, but she’s got a great team of people around her.
“Don’t get too discouraged.”
It would be understandable if Eala’s fans did feel discouraged, as the Filipina has lost five matches this year, winning five or fewer games.
Losing so heavily so often, it begs the question if Eala can challenge for big titles against the very best players on tour.
But as Rusedski rightly said, patience is key.
After all, Eala is still just 20-years-old, and hasn’t been a WTA Tour player for long.
Especially on clay, her weakest surface, it will take time for her to adjust, and while that happens, these score lines should be somewhat expected.
Still, Eala won’t enjoy losing and will be determined to put up more of a fight when she returns to the court next week.
Where will Alex Eala play next?
Before she makes the trip to Rome for the Italian Open, Eala will take a step down to the Challenger level.
Eala will compete as the sixth seed in the La Bisbal WTA 125 event.
With 125 ranking points on offer, the Filipina could edge closer to a top-30 return with a title.
Live WTA Rankings
| Rank | Name | Country | Points |
| 37 | Sara Bejlek | Czechia | 1,361 |
| 38 | Katerina Siniakova | Czechia | 1,342 |
| 39 | Janice Tjen | Indonesia | 1,317 |
| 40 | Elisabetta Cocciaretto | Italy | 1,290 |
| 41 | Alex Eala | Philippines | 1,285 |
| 42 | Lois Boisson | France | 1,268 |
| 43 | Marketa Vondrousova | Czechia | 1,263 |
| 44 | Magdalena Frech | Poland | 1,263 |
| 45 | Laura Siegemund | Germany | 1,250 |
| 46 | Maria Sakkari | Greece | 1,238 |
But who will Eala have to play in La Bisbal?
Top eight seeds in La Bisbal
- 1. Leylah Fernandez
- 2. Wang Xinyu
- 3. Ann Li
- 4. Katerina Siniakova
- 5. Peyton Stearns
- 6. Alex Eala
- 7. Laura Siegemund
- 8. McCartney Kessler
Several big names will join Eala in La Bisbal, but overall, the quality of opponents should be lower than in WTA Tour events.
That may give Eala a chance to pick up wins and build confidence ahead of the Italian Open and Roland Garros next month.
It remains to be seen how well Eala will perform in La Bisbal, but you won’t want to miss any of the action when the tournament begins on Wednesday, April 29.
