Eala takes down World No. 2 Rybakina in Berlin shocker

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

Alex Eala just did that.

What an upset.

On June 18, 2026, the Filipina tennis ace bagged one of her most notable professional career wins after stunning World No. 2 Elena Rybakina, 7-5, 6-4, in the Round of 16 stage of the ongoing Berlin Open at the Steffi Graf Stadion in Germany.

After scoring her third consecutive win over Donna Vekic to advance, Eala found herself in a tough spot after arranging the highly anticipated showdown against the two-time Grand Slam champion.

However, flashes of her 2025 Miami Open run oozed on the grass court.

Set against another top dog in the WTA, Eala meant pure business, delivering an upset for the ages after outworking Rybakina in two consecutive sets.

The score may have looked like a walk in the park on paper, but Eala had to dig deep, especially in the opening set when the red-hot Rybakina zoomed to a comfortable 4-1 advantage.

Eala may have been down, but she was never out.

Instead of panicking, the composed 21-year-old netter took it one point at a time, improved her serving game, and stepped on the gas pedal every time Rybakina threw a looping backhand.

Aside from taking advantage of her sloppy returns, Eala also stuck with her strategy of punishing Rybakina’s second serves, stepping inside the line to unleash powerful forehand groundstrokes that padded her return aces tally.

With the recipe for success achieved, Eala was able to rake six out of the remaining seven games to formally clinch the massive come-from-behind rally after being three games down.

Eala mixed things up at the start of the second set by displaying variations of controlled power shots that disrupted Rybakina’s usual hitting pattern.

From her high clear lobs to her use of flat down-the-line placements, Eala showed an improved offensive arsenal, backstopped by her improved and consistent service game.

Eala’s variety of shots then started to frustrate Rybakina midway through the second set, forcing her to commit a series of crucial unforced errors that derailed her chances of giving the Filipina a dose of her own medicine.

In the ninth game, Rybakina showed signs of life after leading 30-15 on Eala’s service game, but a hold on the next sequence and an error from the Kazakhstani sealed the biggest upset win in Berlin.

Eala capped the Round of 16 dub with 72 total points won, including four service aces, three break points, and 27 on the return.

“I am a little foggy right now,” Eala said moments after ousting Rybakina.

“She really started on fire, and she came out hot. I think for me, returning and my game in general, a highlight word would be brave. It makes a big difference when I’m able to do that.”