Alexandra Eala beat Naomi Osaka 6-4, 6-2 in the semifinals of the 2026 Mubadala DC Open in Washington, advancing to the biggest final of her career. WTA

Eala, who turned 20 in July, reached her second career final and her first at the WTA 500 level — the tier just below the tour's premier 1000 events. Osaka, a four-time Grand Slam champion, could not find a way through the Filipino's returning. Eala broke serve early in each set and never let the lead slip.

In the other women's semifinal, third seed Jessica Pegula came back from 5-2 down in the first set to beat Russia's Diana Shnaider 7-5, 6-4. Pegula, who won the Washington title in 2023, will contest her second final at the tournament. BBC Sport

The men's draw produced its own headline. Third seed Taylor Fritz hit 13 aces to beat fellow American Brandon Nakashima 6-3, 3-6, 6-3, setting up a final against 19-year-old Spaniard Rafael Jodar. BBC Sport

Jodar reached the final the hard way. He recovered from losing a first-set tiebreak — the tiebreak, a points shootout used to decide a set locked at 6-6 — to beat Chile's Alejandro Tabilo 6-7 (6-8), 6-4, 6-4. The win will carry Jodar into the world's top 20, having started the year ranked 165th. BBC Sport

For a player ranked outside the top 150 in January, a top-20 debut in August is a climb that turns heads. Jodar did it the way most young players do — by stringing together wins on smaller stages and then backing them up when a bigger draw opened.

Eala's run carries a similar arc. She announced herself at the 2025 Miami Open, where she beat three top-20 players on her way to the quarterfinals. A WTA 500 final, one step below the Grand Slams and 1000-level events, is another rung up. To win it, she will need to get past Pegula, who knows these courts well and who nearly handed away the first set before finding her range.

The finals are scheduled for Sunday in Washington.