Fresh off historic title, Alex Eala rejoins Venus Williams in Toronto

Filipina tennis star Alexandra Eala who recently won a historic WTA title at Washington, will reunite with seven-time Grand Slam singles champion Venus Williams in the doubles draw at the National Bank Open in Toronto after the pair received the tournament’s final wild-card entry.

Eala said she is excited to share the court with Williams again after the duo’s promising partnership earlier this season.

“I’m really, really excited to be playing doubles with her again,” Eala told reporters ahead of the tournament. “Every opportunity I get to share the court with her is super cherished. She’s got a great mentality, and there’s so much I can learn from her.”

She added: “I’m really excited to be doing that in a different setting. I think it will be very fun. With the Filipino community and, of course, the amazing fans that she has, I think it will be a great atmosphere.”

The reunion comes on the back of Eala’s historic triumph at the Mubadala DC Open in Washington, where she defeated three seeded players, including world No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the final, to become the first Filipina to win a WTA 500 singles title. The victory also propelled the 21-year-old into the WTA Top 20 for the first time.

Tournament organisers confirmed that Eala and Williams will make their Toronto debut as partners during Thursday night’s session at Sobeys Stadium.

“We know our fans will be incredibly excited to see Venus and Alexandra team up in doubles,” tournament director Karl Hale said on the WTA website.

“Venus is a legend of the sport, while Alexandra’s popularity continues to soar, as does her level on court. It’s going to be a special moment when the two step onto Sobeys Stadium for the first time as a partnership.”

They had planned to play together at last week’s Mubadala DC Open, but Eala withdrew from the doubles competition to focus on her singles campaign.

The decision proved to be the right one as she went on to produce a career-defining run and lift the biggest trophy of her career.

Before the Washington tournament, Eala explained why she chose to prioritise singles.

“I have so much respect for Venus,” she said. “I am so grateful for every opportunity that I have to be around her, to learn from her, to hit with her. But I do think this is my first week coming back, and Venus is someone who deserves a partner who can give their all physically, emotionally and mentally when they’re on court with her. Right now, I think I can only do that for singles.”

Williams also expressed her enthusiasm about playing alongside the rising Filipina.

“We had a great start,” the American said. “We played really well. Hoping to get a chance to play with her again. I think as a team, if we had a chance to play often, then I think we could play really well.”