Alex Eala faces another big test vs Belinda Bencic at Canadian Open

The Philippines’ Alexandra Eala celebrates a point against United States’ Caty McNally during a National Bank Open tennis match in Toronto on Friday, Aug. 7, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

MANILA, Philippines — After surviving a three-set battle against Caty McNally, Alex Eala will be tested anew against Swiss star Belinda Bencic for a quarterfinal spot in the Canadian Open in Toronto.

Eala and the 12th seed and Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Bencic meet for the first time on Monday in a match that starts not before 8:10 a.m. (Manila time).

“Oh, super excited. It’s going to be the first time that I’m facing her,” said Eala. “Of course, Belinda, she has accomplished so much in tennis. Of course, I remember watching her win the Olympic medal, so I think I’m really excited to be on court again.”

Eala reached the fourth round of the Toronto Masters after overcoming the gritty McNally, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, despite rolling her right foot in the second set.

The 21-year-old Eala has assured the ankle issue is nothing serious as she tries to claim a second straight tour title after ruling the WTA 500 DC Open on Tuesday.

Eala is on a seven-match winning streak dating back to her Washington triumph, where she opened her campaign with a comeback win over Paris Olympics gold medalist Zheng Qinwen and ended with a stunning upset of World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the final.

The Filipino ace kicked off her bid in Toronto with a victory over Alycia Parks on Thursday.

The World No. 14 Bencic has 10 singles titles under her belt. She became the youngest Canadian Open champion at just 18 years old in 2015.

Bencic, 29, arranged a last 16 duel with Eala after outlasting Taylor Townsend in a grueling match that lasted more than three hours on Saturday.

The former world number four is on a career resurgence this year, peaking at 9th in the WTA rankings since returning from maternity leave.