DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Filipina sensation Alexandra 'Alex' Eala may have failed to grab the tournament's coveted crown but after a solid quarterfinals finish in the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) 1000 Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, still she nears cracking the WTA Top 30 and will be richer by almost ₱6 million.

Eala’s amazing run ride in Dubai ended with a 6-0, 6-2 lopsided loss to her 2025 Italian Open doubles partner and good friend Cori Dionne 'Coco' Gauff of the United States in their matchup. On her defeat Eala once again showed her humility: “Congrats, Coco. I love sharing the court with you. I always learn a lot.”
Up against the world No. 4, Eala was simply outclassed, surrendering the first 10 games, including a bagel in the first set and bowing out in only 67 minutes of play.

Despite the defeat, Eala appeared thankful: “Three weeks of fighting with love and pride has come to an end here in Dubai. The competition, the atmosphere, the hospitality and the full-blown support has made these weeks ones I’ll never forget!”

“Sab Santa Maria (fellow Filipina tennis player) once said, ‘it’s a privilege to play in front of people who see themselves in you.’ And I couldn’t agree more. What a privilege it is to do what you love, with love,” she added, obviously elated with the warm reception she got from the predominant Filipino crowd who watched the grueling matches of the world's top tennis players at the luxurious Aviation Club Tennis Center in the Dubai's famous shopping hub.

There are about half a million overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) and those who watched the championships showered their tennis idol with love and adoration, which the 20-year-old Quezon City lass gave back with a fighting performance that sent her skyrocketing to No. 32 from No. 47 in the WTA ranking. She netted 215 points and jacked up her total to 1432 in the tour with her Dubai Last 8 finish.

Significantly, though, Eala's 15-spot improvement from her seven-rung slip last week after a first-round exit in the WTA 1000 Qatar Open is certainly topped by her guaranteed purse of US$98,500 (around ₱5.7 million) in the 1000-level tourney that is to award $665,000 (1000 points) to the champion, $385,001 (650 points) to second placer and $197,000 (390 points) to the second runner-up.

Eala’s Last 8 finish in Dubai added to her string of remarkable finishes in a strong start in the 2026 season.
And there’s no turning back for our country's pride, who’s shifting her focus next to another prestigious WTA1000 stint in Indian Wells, California scheduled from March 4 to 15 before a grand return in the WTA 1000 Miami Open on March 17 to 29.