Eala, Venus Williams reunite in training for Mubadala DC Open
MANILA, Philippines — What better way for Alex Eala to begin her build-up for the hard-court swing in North America than a reunion with legend Venus Williams?
Eala, the 21-year-old Filipina rising star, dapped it up with the 46-year-old American great in a joint training session Saturday for the Mubadala D.C. Open set on Monday until August 2 in Washington as part of multiple hardcourt tourneys leading up to the US Open next month.
“Inspiring multiple generations,” said the Mubadala organizers in an Instagram post as Eala and Williams brace for their second doubles partnership in the 500-level tourney.
The Mubadala DC Open serves as Eala’s first plunge to the hardcourt transition as she also vies in the National Bank Open from August 1-13 in Toronto, Canada, and the Cincinnati Open from August 8-23 back in the US prior to the final Grand Slam from August 30 to September 13 in Flushing Meadows, New York.
Eala and Williams will also play in the singles with the official draws in both divisions slated to be released today (Manila time).
They made it to the quarterfinals in their first team-up in the Bad Homburg Open in Germany last month.
That partnership came just months after Eala and her American friend Iva Jovic stunned Williams and then World No. 8 Elina Svitolina of Ukraine, 7-6 (9-7), 6-1, en route to a Final-Four finish in the WTA250 ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand.
Eala and Williams will be in a for a tall order against a stacked field led by the top-seeded pair of Italy’s Sara Errani, 10-time Slam doubles champion, and former Wimbledon mixed doubles winner Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States.
Also in is reigning champion Shuai Zhang of China, who will be with a different partner in Indonesian star Janice Tjen. Zhang teamed up with the US’ Taylor Townsend in the title conquest last year.
In singles, they will battle against World No. 3 Jessica Pegula of the US, No. 10 Svitolina, No. 11 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine, No. 13 Naomi Osaka of Japan, No. 15 Jasmine Paolini of Italy, No. 18 Diana Shnaider of Russia and No. 23 Madison Keys of the US.
Eala will come into the hard-court swing with an all-time high momentum after a historic Round-of-16 finish in the Wimbledon, a title in Birmingham, and a Final-Four finish in Berlin for a magnificent grass-season run.
That campaign earned her the “Star of the Swing” in the WTA online poll for the grass-court season with 89% of votes as per the WTA online poll. She beat Wimbledon champion Linda Noskova (7%) and runner-up Karolina Muchova (3%), both from Czechia.
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