Alex Eala won her debut at the inaugural WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open on Monday night at Centre Court of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The hometown hero was nearly flawless in dispatching Alina Charaeva, 6-1, 6-2, to move on to the next stage of the tournament.
Afterwards, the 2025 WTA 125 Guadalajara champion shared with the media her assessment of how she fared against Charaeva.
“I think I played really well today. I think I was able to maintain [that] level throughout the match, so I’m happy with that,” she said.
Crucially, the world No 49 was able to sustain her strong start—something she’s had trouble with throughout her rise from obscurity to tennis superstar.
“I think every match is different,” Eala pointed out when asked how she was able to maintain her high-level play. “It’s hard to generalize or categorize the way things flow during a match. It’s different every single time. It depends on you, it depends on the opponent, it depends on the day. It depends on so many things.”
Eala Powers Through After Medical Timeout
Despite her Philippine Women’s Open debut being delayed for an hour, Eala nonetheless quickly settled into a rhythm, using aggressive returns and precise down-the-line forehands to seize control from the get-go.
The 20-year-old broke serve early to move ahead, 3-1, in the first set, feeding off the energy of the pro-Eala crowd.
Eala continued to apply pressure with depth and pace, forcing errors from her Russian opponent and racing through the next games to close the opening frame in just 24 minutes.
Momentum briefly shifted at the start of the second set as Charaeva claimed the first two games, including a service break. Eala answered immediately, relying on solid returns to break back in the third game.
Shortly after, she called for a medical timeout to address discomfort in her right thigh, returning to loud applause with her leg wrapped.
Despite momentary movement issues, Eala showed composure under pressure. Facing break points, she produced timely winners to hold serve and level the set at 2-all. From there, the Rafa Nadal Academy alum steadily pulled away, mixing power with variety, including well-placed drop shots that disrupted Charaeva’s timing.
Eala stretched the lead to 5-2 and calmly served out the match, sealing the win with another emphatic forehand winner after one hour and 16 minutes.
The victory marked a memorable hometown debut for Eala following her Australian Open stint.
Giving What the Fans Wanted
Ever since the WTA 125 Philippine Women’s Open was announced, it was clear that fans most wanted to see and support Eala. Her short stint at the Australian Open made that dream a reality, and on Monday, the Quezon City native gave the fans exactly what they wanted: a win, and a dominant one at that.
Of course, it’s just one win, and there’s a long road to go. But Eala on Monday brought the kind of vibes that this tournament was hoping for.
