Alex Eala to Face Caty McNally in Canadian Open Round of 32 Clash

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tennis star Alex Eala is set to meet American Caty McNally in the round of 32 at the 2026 Canadian Open in Toronto. Their match is scheduled for no earlier than 8 a.m. Philippine time on Saturday at the tournament’s center court.

Eala, seeded 25th, is aiming to maintain her strong form in the WTA 1000 event after a hard-fought victory over Alycia Parks on Thursday. She won the match in three sets, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, advancing to the third round.

This will be the first career meeting between Eala and McNally. McNally recently made headlines by defeating Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova in straight sets, 7-6 (5), 6-1, to reach this stage of the tournament. Prior to that, McNally overcame Tatjana Maria in a three-set match, 6-4, 6-7 (4), 6-1, in the first round.

The 24-year-old McNally has a career-high ranking of No. 50, achieved in June. Like Eala, she has won two WTA 125 titles. McNally’s Grand Slam record includes reaching the second round of the Australian Open twice, the French Open this year, and Wimbledon. Her best Grand Slam performance came at the 2020 US Open, where she reached the third round a year after her debut.

In doubles, McNally has also found success, finishing as runner-up in the US Open doubles in both 2020 and 2021. Currently, she is competing in doubles at the Canadian Open alongside Coco Gauff, with the pair having advanced to the round of 16 after a tight victory over Gabriela Dabrowski and Ekaterina Alexandrova, 3-6, 6-3, 11-9.

Eala, meanwhile, is pursuing her first WTA 1000 title following her breakthrough win at the Mubadala DC Open, where she claimed her first WTA Tour singles crown. However, her doubles campaign at the Canadian Open ended early, as she and partner Venus Williams were eliminated in the first round by Liudmila Samsonova and Miyu Kato, 4-6, 3-6.

The upcoming match between Eala and McNally represents a significant test for the young Filipino, who is looking to build on her recent successes and make a deeper run in one of the season’s premier hard-court tournaments. The encounter promises to be a competitive contest between two rising talents with proven track records on the WTA Tour.