As the tennis calendar officially moves on from the grass-court season toward the North American hard-court swing, all eyes are on the upcoming Mubadala DC Open in Washington, D.C.. Slated to run from July 27 to Aug. 2, the WTA 500 event will be a starting point for the summer hard-court stretch.
Ahead of the competition, former World No. 1 Venus Williams and 21-year-old star Alexandra Eala were spotted training side-by-side in the nation’s capital. The duo, dubbed ‘LexUs’ by fans, has received a wildcard entry for the doubles draw, setting the stage for their first-ever hard-court appearance together.
Venus Williams and Alexandra Eala Team Up Again for Mubadala DC Open Doubles
Their initial partnership at the Bad Homburg Open on the grass courts in June showed a lot of promise, though they lost in the quarterfinals to Tereza Mihalíková and Olivia Nicholls.
After the Bad Homburg Open, Williams wrote, “The best ride, the best tournament. The best partner!” in an Instagram story, praising Eala. Sharing that, the Filipina who grew up idolizing Williams wrote, “So grateful for this experience!!”
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I’d have the privilege of competing alongside you on court, [Venus Williams],” Eala said. “Immensely grateful to learn from you.”
Now, they are bringing their cross-generational chemistry to the American hard courts.
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For Williams, pairing with a young, in-form player like Eala will be helpful. Her 2026 doubles campaign was interrupted by her partners’ physical setbacks, including Hailey Baptiste’s ACL tear ahead of the French Open and Serena Williams’s unexpected knee injury that derailed their highly anticipated reunion at Wimbledon.
During her legendary career, she has won 7 Grand Slam singles titles and 22 doubles titles on the WTA Tour, including 14 Grand Slam doubles titles with her sister.
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Meanwhile, Eala arrives in D.C. after Wimbledon, where she pulled a 7-6(9), 6-2 upset over World No. 3 and defending champion Iga Świątek in the third round. Although she was eventually edged out by Jasmine Paolini in a three-set battle (4-6, 6-4, 3-6) in the round of 16, Eala’s summer has not been disappointing, as she won a WTA 125 title at the Birmingham Open.
Last year, it was Eala’s 6-2, 7-5 victory over Świątek in Miami that leveled up her career, particularly in her home country, the Philippines, where she is now a national sensation.
