Dream team in action: Alexandra Eala and Venus Williams surge into doubles Quarter-Finals at Bad Homburg
WTAWednesday, 24 June 2026 at 21:30
Alexandra Eala and Venus Williams have surged through to the doubles Quarter-Finals after dispatching Alexandra Osborne and Catherine Harrison in the first round 6-3, 6-4 in Germany at Bad Homburg on Wednesday night.
Eala and Venus Williams needed just one hour and 10 minutes to secure a spot in the next round. The match marked the first time that Eala and Williams shared the court as doubles partners.
They will next face the duo of Slovakia's Tereza Mihalikova and Great Britain's Olivia Nicholls, who are both ranked World No.29 in doubles.
A dream team in many ways
Chanda Rubin had previously lauded the duo as a bit of a dream given the tickets that Venus sells as well as the rising star that Eala is who is supremely popular.
“They can still sell so many tickets, in terms of Venus and Serena and Eala is one of the most popular players around the globe. A lot of it comes down to that, but they are also legends with the Williams sisters, so they should be able to get anywhere,” Rubin said. "At this stage you are trying to get some doubles in and why not try with somebody new?”
Eala has often partnered with close friends when it comes to doubles including Iva Jovic who is part of the next generation of tennis stars who have become friends off the court including Zeynep Sonmez, Eva Lys, Victoria Mboko among others. Another player who is close with that group is Coco Gauff and Eala has also teamed with the American previously at the Rome Open back in 2025.
Albeit she has previously tasted losses recently in doubles including with fellow rising star Nikola Bartunkova at the Birmingham Open. They lost to Harriet Dart and Maia Lumsden 4-6, 6-2, 9-11 last Monday. Next up will be a marginally tougher test but will be one that no doubt prepares Venus for her team with Serena Williams.
Samuel GillEditor-in-Chief
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has a broad background in tennis media. In his current role, he works closely with editors and writers to ensure coverage meets clear journalistic standards, with particular attention to verification, consistency, and timely updates when new information becomes available.
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