French Open 2026: Alexandra Eala to team up with Victoria Mboko for doubles; Venus Williams returns after five years

There's a new tennis duo in town.

Alexandra Eala, the rising star from the Philippines, will team up with Canadian teen sensation Victoria Mboko to compete in the women's doubles at the 2026 French Open.

Eala and Mboko's partnership, which was confirmed in the tournament's entry list released on Wednesday (13 May), brings together two of the most promising talents on the women's tour.

The two players have faced each other only once in their senior careers, in the round of 16 at last year's Hong Kong Open, in which Mboko came from behind to beat Eala.

But the youngsters share a deeper history: Eala beat Mboko in the semifinals of the 2022 U.S. Open girls' singles, en route to becoming the first Filipino Grand Slam junior champion.

Starting the 2025 season as the World No. 333, Mboko has since been making waves on the WTA Tour, jumping to a career-high No. 9, while Eala is ranked 42nd.

But 20-year-old Eala (No.88) is ranked higher than 19-year-old Mboko (No. 133) in doubles.

Earlier this week, the Eala was partnered by Hailey Baptiste of the United States, but exited the clay-court 2026 Internazionali BNL d'Italia in the first round.

However, the highest-ranked Filipina in WTA history enjoyed a better run in the singles event, reaching the third round, where she fell to World No. 2 Elena Rybakina.

Teaming up with Canadian singles No. 1 Mboko in the French capital, Eala will be looking to improve on her second-round women's doubles finish at the 2025 French Open, where she partnered with Mexico's Renata Zarazúa.

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