For three matches, Alexandra Eala walked through Auckland like a rising storm. From her gritty comeback against Donna Vekic to her solid triumph against Petra Marcinko, the 20-year-old was building something special at the ASB Classic. And when she stunned Magda Linette, an opponent she had never beaten before, fans dared to dream . But on Saturday, destiny turned into heartbreak at the Manuka Doctor Arena.

Eala entered the semifinal against China’s Wang Xinyu carrying a three-match winning streak. But the world number 57 got off to a stellar start, racing to a 4-0 lead as Eala struggled to find her rhythm. At 1-5, it looked as though the set was all gone. And then, something shifted.

Eala started swinging freely, no longer in survival mode. The Filipina star reeled off six straight games to steal the set 7-5. That momentum stayed with her. Even after falling behind 1-3, Alexandra Eala found another surge, again breaking Wang twice to lead 5-3 and earned a match point.

But Wang refused to fold. Just like the first set, the second took a sharp turn, and Wang won it 7-5. Eala walked back to her chair with her shoulders tight, breathing heavier than before.

The third set began with Eala visibly struggling. Wang struck early again, going up 3-0 as Eala winced between points. Moments later, she called for an MTO, clutching her back and hip.

When play resumed, Eala’s eyes glistened. She wiped tears from her face before returning to the baseline. But even with pain shadowing every moment, she kept fighting. Down 2-5, she broke down. Down 3-5, she held. Down 4-5, she pressured Wang’s serve. The crowd started believing yet again. But Wang was steady when it mattered.

She wrapped up the duel by 5-7, 7-5, 6-4 in Auckland to reach her second WTA final. In the Auckland final, Wang will now play the winner of the match between Elina Svitolina and Iva Jovic.

Xinyu Wang’s reaction after beating Alexandra Eala in a hard-fought battle

Alexandra Eala has quickly transformed from a promising junior into one of the most exciting young names on the WTA Tour. So this match was a big test for someone like Xinyu Wang. The Filipino entered the match riding a wave of confidence not just from her Auckland run but from a blockbuster 2025 season that carried her from world number 147 all the way into the top 50 (although she has now dropped to 53).

When the final point was over, Wang didn’t celebrate wildly. Instead, she exhaled, long and heavy, before turning toward Eala with genuine respect. In her post-match interview, Wang offered nothing but praise for her opponent:

“It was a crazy battle from the start to the end. She’s an absolute fighter. I’m really happy to be through to my first ever final.” Her choice of words said everything. Wang knew she had just defeated a rising star in the middle of her breakout era.

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During a previous interview with Vogue, Alexandra Eala shared her thoughts about the 2025 season. In the previous season, she not only reached the semifinal of the Miami Open by defeating the likes of Jelena Ostapenko, Madison Keys, and Iga Swiatek but also won a WTA 125 title in Guadalajara. She reflected on all those moments in the interview and spoke about how proud she was of her journey.

Eala said, “There’s always going to be someone better than you. And what I try to do is just be the best version of myself.” Seeing her rapid rise, former American tennis pro Nick Monroe has even predicted her to enter the Top 10 in 2026. Can Eala do it?

Time will tell! But one thing is for sure, Saturday’s clash between Alexandra Eala and Xinyu Wang could well be the spark of something bigger. Could it be a rivalry in the making?