Alex Eala breaks 'Czech curse,' captures 2026 Birmingham Open

Finally, Filipina tennis star Alex Eala subdued Czech Nikola Bartunkova in three sets, 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 to clinch the 2026 Birmingham Open at the Edgbaston Priory Club, Birmingham, England.

The world number 37 Eala,  who has never won a match against Czech players in 13 matches, has finally scored a win at the expense of world number 69 Nikola Bartunkova.

Eala and Bartunkova went back-and-forth in the first set, both of them scoring games alternately until the Czech broke the cycle and the tie at 7-5.

The second set was dominated by the Filipina crowd favorite as she raced to 5-2 until she capped the set at 6-3.  In the third set, after Eala equalized at 2-2, she gained momentum and almost closed the match at 5-3. Bortunkova caught up with Eala and tied the set at 5-5. Eala took the next two games, 7-5 to win the tournament.

Eala's Czech tormentors include Bortunkova, Marketa Vondrousova, Barbora Krejcikova, Linda Fruhvirtova, Marie Bouzkova, Katerina Siniakova, Tereza Martincova, Gabriela Knutson, Tereza Valentova, Linda Noskova, Karolina Muchova and Anastasia Zarycka.

Eala outlasted Rebeka Masarova of Switzerland 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the semifinals. She also defeated Australian Priscilla Hon, 6-0, 6-2 in the round of 32 and Russian Alina Charaeva, 6-2, 7-5 in the round of 16 on the road to the finals.

Bartunkova on the other hand defeated American Aslyn Krueger, 6-4, 7-6 (7) before reaching the final.

The 20-year-old Bartunkova was also Eala's doubles partner in the tournament.  Eala and Bartunkova lost to No. 2 British pair Dart Harriet and Maia Lumsden, 4–6, 6–2, 11–9, in the first round.

The Birmingham Open was Eala's first grass tournament in the 2026 season.