Alex Eala will still win a huge prize even if she loses to Belinda Bencic at the Canadian Open.
Alex Eala has kept up her great form from the Washington DC Open as she heads into the Canadian Open. She’s now ready to face Belinda Bencic in the fourth round.
The 21-year-old has won seven matches in a row, including her latest win over Caty McNally at this tournament. Before coming to Canada, Eala won her very first title at the WTA 500 in Washington DC. Serena Williams’ former coach, Rick Macci, even thinks she could become a top five player one day.
Thanks to this amazing streak, Eala has reached a career-high ranking of world No. 20. But things will get tougher as she goes up against Bencic, who is ranked No. 12 in the world. So far, she’s beaten McNally (No. 70) and Alycia Parks (No. 71) in the Canadian Open.
Even if Eala doesn’t get past Bencic, reaching the fourth round means she’ll earn a big prize. If Bencic wins, Eala will still take home $105,720. But if she moves on to the quarter-finals, her prize money jumps to $193,645, according to the ATP Tour.
Both players will be focused on their next match and not thinking too far ahead. But if either of them goes on to win the entire Canadian Open, they’ll get the trophy and a prize of $1,151,420.
With Arnya Sabalenka out early, the competition is wide open. The favorite to win now is Elena Rybakina, who’s world No. 2. Bencic, also No. 12, might believe she can add to her 10 titles and 2021 Olympic gold medal.