Alex Eala turns back Alycia Parks to advance at Canadian Open

Philippines’ Alexandra Eala celebrates a point against United States’ Alycia Parks during the National Bank Open tennis tournament in Toronto on Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2026. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press via AP)

MANILA, Philippines—Alex Eala made sure history didn’t repeat itself, fending off gritty American Alycia Parks, 6-1, 4-6, 6-2, in the 2026 Canadian Open in Toronto on Thursday morning.

Eala had an answer to Parks’ comeback this time around, winning the final four games of the third set to advance to the round of 32 of the WTA 1000 tournament.

Parks showed flashes of the comeback that spoiled Eala’s Australian Open main-draw debut last January, when she was blanked in the opening set before rallying for a 0-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory.

Seven months later, the World No. 71 again recovered from a lopsided opening-set loss and pushed Eala to a decider.

But the Filipino tennis ace, now a WTA Tour champion just days removed from her run to the Mubadala DC Open title, refused to experience the same heartbreak.

Eala raced to a 2-0 lead in the deciding set before Parks won the next two games to tie it.

The World No. 20 from the Philippines quickly regained control, highlighted by a dominant eighth game in which she blanked the American before forcing a net error with a powerful forehand to move within a game of victory.

Eala next faces another American in Caty McNally, who upset Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova, 7-6 (5), 6-1, in the third round.

Despite the quick turnaround from her title run in Washington, Eala dominated the opening set, winning five straight games to pull away from a 1-1 tie.

Parks, currently ranked No. 71, was undone by crucial attack errors and double faults in the opening set but committed fewer errors and dictated the pace in the second.

She fired six of her 10 aces in the second set, where Eala managed to tie it at 4-4 before Parks pulled away in the final two games to force a decider.

Eala will also see action in the doubles tournament, reuniting with Venus Williams as a wild-card pair. They take on Liudmila Samsonova and Miyu Kato in the round of 32 on Friday.

The Rafa Nadal Academy graduate has been playing the best tennis of her career, reaching the Wimbledon Round of 16 before taking down several top players in Washington, including World No. 3 Jessica Pegula in the final to capture her first WTA 500 title.