Tennis

One of the biggest storylines of the 2026 WTA hard-court season has been that of a winning streak by Alex Eala, but it seemed the streak had to end in Toronto. The only player to stand in Eala's way was Belinda Bencic, the seasoned veteran Swiss player, who is also an Olympic champion. Bencic sent the emerging Filipina 6-4, 6-0, ending her seven-match winning streak and fresh reminder of the challenge of the WTA Tour's deeper rounds. It's a setback in the scoreboard but not in the bigger picture of her development for Eala this season of 2026.

Alex Eala Arrived in Montreal in Red-Hot Form

Momentum was the key to Eala's road into the Canadian Open. Her 7-match winning streak started at the DC Open, where she eliminated reigning Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen and Leylah Fernandez before taking down top-3 seeds Elina Svitolina, Naomi Osaka, and Jessica Pegula in her first WTA Tour singles final.

This form was transferred directly to the National Bank Open in Toronto. Eala was awarded a first-round bye, survived a three-set victory over Alycia Parks and a third-set Andrew McNally win in winning qualification for the fourth round despite suffering a minor ankle injury in the process.

All of these Alex Eala winning streaks moments contributed to her expanding reputation:

• The first WTA singles career winner on home hard courts in Washington
• Three-set sweeps over veteran Americans in Toronto
• A growing world ranking among the top 20.
• Elevating the numbers of followers and media coverage in North America.

Eala had risen to become one of the most discussed names to swing this summer by the time she reached the Round of 16.

Belinda Bencic Proves Too Strong

The No. 12 seed and world No. 14 Belinda Bencic came off the bench as the slight favorite, based on her ranking and experience on hard court. The two players were each other's first opponents, which added an element of mystery into the first-time matchup.

It was a close game in the first set. Eala held serve with an ace and forced a 4-4 deadlock, but broke Bencic's serve in the next game. However Bencic immediately answered back, and nailed the last two games to end the first set 6-4.

The second set was a one-sided set. After a serve and tight return game, Bencic quickly established a 5-0 advantage as she returned Eala's serve with flat, early-timed groundstrokes, keeping them on their heels. Eala rallied from 0-40 in the sixth game and had two backhand winners in a row to put deuce on the scoreboard, but Bencic was able to dominate and shut it out 6-0 in under an hour.

The Crucial Stat: Bencic's record against left-handed opponents.

The line-up of storylines was more than just a score line. Bencic had 10 wins over left-handed players since 2024 when she entered the match.She was unbeatable over lefties since 2024 when she made her debut in the match and added her win over Eala to that record.

Belinda Bencic added a victory to her 10-match lefty winning streak since 2024, adding to her tactical advantage against lefties, against Alex Eala in the Canadian Open.

Bencic's strength against lefties usually has been blamed on her flat, early-groundstrokes that give lefties fewer angles to play around with. It was the same story against WTA Tour favourite lefty that was one of its most promising talents, Eala, as Bencic controlled the rallies and did not give Eala space to run around her forehand.

What Ended Alex Eala's Winning Streak?

Eala's seven-match winning streak ended because of several factors:

1. Bencic's hard play on return - Bencic was hard on Eala's service games from the first point, forcing easy holds.
2. Physical fatigue - The two three-set games in the previous two rounds may have got the better of Eala as the second set approached with an ankle problem.
3. Pressure-defying big moment experience - Bencic's years at the highest level of the tour were evident in her ability to finish competing in close matches.
4. Shallow replies to Bencic's early-timed strokes - Eala didn't get a feel for the game when Bencic dominated the patterns.

Positives Eala Can Still Take From the Tournament

The tournament proved to be a reminder of all the reasons why Eala's Alex Eala winning streaks story has been so talked about in the tennis world:

• She got to the fourth round of a WTA 1000 tournament despite suffering a physical setback.
• She demonstrated that she can play three games with experienced players.
• She also built her confidence after her first WTA singles win on the weekend.
• She showed fight even in a lopsided match, coming back from the 0-40 deficit from a top-15 opponent.

This will have significant implications for Eala's 2026 Season

The defeat to Bencic will likely not derail Eala's momentum. Her recent success, in winning her first WTA title and reaching the second week of a WTA 1000 event, reinforces her argument for direct entry into bigger events in the future.

More importantly, playing against Bencic's ability gives you a standard to go by. The tactical points from this game, especially dealing with the flat and early ball strikers, will be a game which will be beneficial at the end of the season. The Canadian Open loss should be seen as another sign of Eala's explosive growth on the WTA Tour.

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Conclusion

Belinda Bencic ended Alex Eala's seven-match winning streak in the Canadian Open Round of 16, as well as adding 10 straight wins against left-handed players. Despite this, Eala's string of performances, including her first WTA singles win and a battling run into the fourth round in Toronto, is a major positive shift in her young career. Tennis viewers will be keen to follow Eala's journey as the hard-court season goes on, and reputable sites like Sports OKBet provide the means to keep abreast of her upcoming tournaments.

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