Venus Williams will no longer partner with her Bad Hamburg partner, Alexandra Eala, ahead of her doubles match at the 2026 Mubadala DC Open. The official draw of the tournament revealed the surprising last-minute change, prompting the veteran tennis player to give a blunt response to the dissolution of their doubles pairing.
Just before the start of the first hard-court tournament, Venus Williams was spotted training with the 21-year-old at the tournament grounds. However, a few hours later, the officials of the Mubadala DC Open released a revised draw, as per a source on X, that excluded Eala. Williams will now team up with rising Russian powerhouse Diana Shnaider.
The abrupt elimination of Eala on Saturday has left many in disbelief, especially as neither the tournament nor Eala has publicly revealed the reason behind the Filipina star’s withdrawal. Williams gave a straightforward response when asked about the sudden change in the draw during a press conference, which put to bed any brewing locker-room-style controversy.
“We had a great time playing at Bad Homburg, so we were looking forward to playing again. Didn’t work out this time. Would love for there to be future times. We’ll see what happens.”
Williams and Eala had paired up for the first time at the Bad Homburg Open and managed to reach the quarterfinal.
Eala, however, remains part of the singles draw of the tournament and has drawn China’s Zheng Qinwen for her first-ever Mubadala DC Open match.
Williams, too, has begun her singles campaign in Washington and will face Anastasia Potapova in the first round.
Venus Williams and Alexandra Eala’s Run at the Bad Homburg Open
The Eala-Williams partnership last month in Germany failed to win the Bad Homburg title but managed to win hearts through their cross-generational chemistry, displayed through their partnership up until the quarterfinal.
They started their campaign by defeating Alexandra Osborne and Catherine Harrison in straight sets in the round of 16, followed by a sweeping loss in the quarterfinals to Olivia Nicholls and Tereza Mihalikova.
Despite the short-lived experimental partnership, fans grew to like the pair, with Eala and Williams tipping their hats to each other. Eala mentioned on her social media that she cherished her moments with Williams on the court, which prompted the veteran to return the sentiment by calling the Filipina star “the best partner.”
Williams will play alongside Diana Shnaider tomorrow against Quinn Gleason and Ulrikke Eikeri.
Read more:
Cancer-battling Chris Evert Shares Wholesome Family Moment With Niece
California Doctor Questions Plastic Surgery Claims Around Tommy Paul’s Wife Paige
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!
