Filipina tennis star Alex Eala suffered an early exit after being defeated by Belgium's Elise Mertens, 6-3, 6-3, in the first round of the Bad Homburg Open singles tournament early Tuesday morning, June 23, 2026 (Philippine time), in Germany.
Mertens extends perfect head-to-head record
Mertens, currently ranked world No. 24, registered a perfect 3-0 record in head-to-head contests against Eala. The Belgian controlled the match after an early challenge from the Filipina.
Carrying momentum from her impressive performance at the Berlin Tennis Open, where she reached the semi-finals, Eala initially took the lead. She raced to a 3-1 advantage in the first set, appearing poised to seize control.
Turning point
However, Mertens then won five consecutive games to take the set and seize control of the match. From that point, the Belgian dominated the rallies and maintained her advantage until the final moments.
Eala, who recently climbed back to world No. 30, continues her campaign in the Bad Homburg Open. She will partner with American legend Venus Williams in the doubles competition.
