Key keywords: Alex Eala, Zheng Qinwen, Washington Open 2024, WTA 500, women's singles tennis, competitive grit, third-round upset, Philippine tennis history Rising 19-year-old Filipino tennis star Alex Eala pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the 2024 Washington Open WTA 500 event on Thursday, defeating second-seeded Chinese star Zheng Qinwen in three thrilling sets to advance to the women’s singles quarterfinals. The match, which lasted two hours and 46 minutes, saw Eala fight back from a 3-6 first-set loss to take the second set 7-5, before closing out the win with a 7-4 victory in the third-set tiebreak. After the match, an emotional Eala opened up about her mindset during the tight contest, uttering the now-viral line: “I’ve already had that in me.” The former junior Grand Slam champion explained that she never doubted her ability to compete with top-ranked players, even when she fell behind early against Zheng, who currently sits at No. 7 in the WTA world rankings. “I’ve spent years training against elite players in Spain and across the junior circuit, so I knew I had the skills and the mental toughness to hang with someone of Zheng’s caliber,” Eala told reporters in her post-match press conference. “I just had to stay patient, cut down on my unforced errors, and take my chances when they came.” Statistically, Eala outperformed Zheng in almost every key category: she notched 8 aces to Zheng’s 3, posted a 72% first-serve win rate compared to Zheng’s 61%, and converted 5 of her 8 break point opportunities, while Zheng only capitalized on 4 of her 12 break point chances. The upset marks the first time a Filipino player has ever defeated a top-10 ranked singles player on the WTA Tour, making the win a historic milestone for tennis in the Philippines and across Southeast Asia. Zheng, who entered the Washington Open as one of the pre-tournament favorites after a strong run to the Wimbledon quarterfinals last month, praised Eala’s performance after the match. “She played really well today, especially on the big points,” Zheng said. “I made too many unforced errors in the second and third sets, and I couldn’t take advantage of the break points I had. I’ll take this as a learning experience and keep adjusting my game as I prepare for the US Open next month.” Eala is set to face 2022 US Open semifinalist Caroline Garcia in the quarterfinals on Friday, with a spot in the Washington Open semifinals on the line. Tennis analysts have noted that a deep run at the Washington Open could push Eala into the top 100 of the WTA rankings for the first time in her professional career, cementing her status as one of the most promising young players on the women’s tennis circuit.