Alex Eala Wins Birmingham Open Title on Grass After Disappointing Clay Season

Alex Eala defeated Nikola Bartunkova 5-7, 6-3, 7-5 to win the Birmingham Open title on June 8 or 9, 2026. The match at Edgbaston Priory Club featured multiple rain delays and extended into a deciding set that Eala closed out after breaking in the 11th game. Eala dropped the opening set after a late break but broke immediately in the second set when Bartunkova led 1-0.

She took control of baseline rallies with heavier depth and sharper angles to win that set 6-3. In the third set she survived early break points, trailed 1-2, then broke to lead 5-3 before Bartunkova leveled at 5-5; Eala broke again and served out the match. The victory gave Eala her first win over a Czech opponent in 14 meetings.

It also marked her second career singles title and placed her name on the list of Birmingham champions alongside Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, Maria Sharapova and Petra Kvitova. Eala reached the final after a series of straight-sets wins earlier in the week.

She beat Priscilla Hon 6-0, 6-2 in the first round, defeated Alina Charaeva 6-2, 7-5 in the second round after trailing 2-5 in the second set, beat Mananchaya Sawangkaew 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals and overcame Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 in the semifinals following a rain delay at 5-2 in the third set.

A year earlier Eala had exited in the first round of the same tournament. This season on clay she reached the round of 16 in Linz before losing to Jelena Ostapenko 7-5, 6-4, fell in the first round in Stuttgart to Leylah Fernandez 6-1, 6-4, lost in the second round in Madrid to Elise Mertens 6-2, 6-1, exited in the third round in Rome against Elena Rybakina 6-4, 6-3, lost in the first round in Strasbourg to qualifier Oleksandra Oliynykova 6-3, 5-7, 3-6 and was beaten in the first round at Roland-Garros by Iva Jovic 6-4, 6-2.

ESPN reported the outcome and match details from the Edgbaston Priory Club final.