TENNIS sensation Alexandra “Alex” Eala of the Philippines will clash against Alina Charaeva of Russia in the round of 16 of the 2026 Birmingham Open today, June 4, at the Edgbaston Priory Club in England.
The 21-year-old Eala scored a rousing 6-0, 6-2 victory against Pricilla Hon in the round of 32 on Tuesday night to open her grass campaign this year on a high note. Eala, ranked 37th in the world, aims to keep her momentum against the 130th ranked Russian. This is Eala’s 15th WTA singles tournament this year, recording a 19-14 win-loss card, while Charaeva played 13 tournaments this year, posting a 19-12 record. The 24-year-old Charaeva has been dominant in WTA 125 circuits, with deeper runs in lower-tier events, winning her first WTA 125 title in Midland (Dow Tennis Classic) in February.Eala and Charaeva met in the round of 32 at the 2026 Philippine Women’s Open, where the Filipina won in straight sets in front of the home crowd in Manila. Meanwhile, Eala has shown strong hard court starts, reaching the semifinals in Auckland (WTA 250), quarterfinals in Abu Dhabi (WTA 500) and Dubai (1000), and round of 16 finishes in Indian Wells and Miami (WTA 1000). Eala’s campaign in clay tournaments showed a best round of 16 finish in the WTA 500 Upper Austria Ladies Linz and WTA 500 Madrid Open last April. However, she made a string of round of 32 exits in the WTA 1000 Rome, WTA 500 Strasbourg and the French Open last week. In 2025, Eala held a 10-5 win-loss record on grass courts.
