After both suffered early exits in singles, Hailey Baptiste and Alexandra Eala have joined forces for a surprise doubles run at the Italian Open. The duo, originally listed as alternates, have officially entered the draw, replacing Leylah Fernandez and Elisabetta Cocciaretto.
While the reason for Fernandez and Cocciaretto's withdrawal remains unclear, Fernandez is slated to compete at this week's WTA 125 Trophee Clarins Challenger in Paris—a stacked event featuring Madison Keys, Maya Joint, McCartney Kessler, defending champion Katie Boulter, and Emma Navarro.
Fernandez and Cocciaretto were originally scheduled to face second seeds and Mutua Madrid Open champions Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend. Now, Baptiste and Eala will step in to take on 2026's hottest women's doubles pair.
Both players have made headlines in singles this season. Baptiste scored a massive win last week in Madrid, taking down world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka. Eala, meanwhile, captured the tennis world's attention with her miraculous run at the 2025 Miami Open, where she defeated Madison Keys, Jelena Ostapenko, and Iga Swiatek in succession.
Eala has prior Italian Open doubles experience, having partnered with Coco Gauff last year, and has recently teamed up with Zeynep Sonmetz. Baptiste, meanwhile, shared the court with American legend Venus Williams last summer at her home tournament, the Mubadala Citi Open.
The Baptiste-Eala pairing is the latest addition to a fascinating women's doubles field at this year's Italian Open. Fan-favorite duo "McCoco"—Caty McNally and Coco Gauff—are in the draw, alongside Jessica Pegula and Storm Hunter. Another new team to watch: Iva Jovic and Anna Kalinskaya, the latter of whom won the 2025 Mutua Madrid Open doubles title with Sorana Cirstea.
Catch all the action from the Italian Open on Tennis Channel through May 17.