Southeast Asian tennis pride wins first WTA title of the 2026 season

The reigning SEA Games tennis champion shows just how compatible her game is with grass surfaces.

Southeast Asia's top-ranked player, Alexandra Eala, delivered a composed performance to claim the WTA 125 Birmingham Open 2026 title after a thrilling 2-1 (5-7, 6-3, 7-5) victory over Nikola Bartunkova in the final held on the evening of June 7 (Vietnam time).

Entering the decisive match, Eala faced significant challenges against her Czech opponent. The opening set was tightly contested, with both players engaging in exciting point exchanges. Bartunkova capitalized on key moments to take the set 7-5, moving ahead 1-0.

Unfazed by the pressure, Eala quickly regained control in the second set. The 20-year-old played more aggressively, effectively using her baseline shots and consistently putting pressure on her opponent's serve. Eala built a 5-2 lead before closing out the set 6-3, leveling the final.

The deciding set featured an exciting battle between two in-form young players. Bartunkova took a 2-1 lead, but Eala responded with three consecutive games to go up 4-2. However, the European player fought back tenaciously to tie the match at 5-5, making the contest more dramatic than ever.

Under immense pressure, Eala showed the composure of a championship contender. The defending SEA Games tennis champion held her serve to take a 6-5 lead before seizing the opportunity to break Bartunkova's serve in the deciding game, closing out the match with a 7-5 victory in the final set.

The Birmingham Open title marks Alex Eala's first championship of the 2026 season and her second career WTA 125 trophy. Previously, she had won the WTA 125 Guadalajara event in Mexico last year.

This is also the second time Eala has reached a grass-court final. In the previous season, she made it to the final of the WTA 250 Eastbourne but lost to Maya Joint, demonstrating that she is fully capable of performing well on this surface.