Alexandra Eala will build her debut at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships next week, joining a field that includes several top-ranked players, tournament organizers confirmed on February 11, 2026.
The 20-year-old Eala, currently ranked No. 40 in the world, has experienced a rapid ascent in the sport, culminating in a career-high ranking of No. 50 at the end of 2025. That breakout season included a semifinal run at the WTA 1000 Miami event, where she registered consecutive victories over No. 5 Keys and No. 2 Swiatek and a title at the WTA 125 Guadalajara tournament. She is the first player from the Philippines to reach a WTA 1000 semifinal and enter the WTA World Top 100.
Eala began her 2026 schedule at the Abu Dhabi Open, securing a notable comeback victory over Aliaksandra Sasnovich. The Filipino star will face a qualifier in her opening match in Dubai, according to the tournament draw released this weekend.
The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, held February 15-21, consistently attracts a strong field. Eala’s participation is expected to draw significant support from the large Filipino expatriate community in the UAE, a factor the player herself acknowledges. “It means a lot, it makes me feel at home even though I’m traveling so many weeks of the year,” Eala said, adding that she believes the support is reciprocated by many Filipinos in the Middle East.
Eala trains at the Rafael Nadal Academy in Mallorca, and is coached by Joan Bosch. She began playing tennis at the age of four and competed in the WTA Future Stars event in 2016 and 2017. Her parents, Mike and Rizza Eala, both have athletic backgrounds; Rizza was a professional swimmer who competed at the 1985 Southeast Asian Games.
The tournament too features matches between Tatjana Maria and Kimberly Birrell, Ella Seidel and Cristina Bucsa, Lulu Sun and Magda Linette, and Linda Noskova and Ann Li on the opening day.
